The Rebirth
by Dylan Clearbrook
Summary: The Rebirth of Kara Zor-El Supergirl in the Marvel Universe
1. The Rebirth Chapter 1: Resurrection

The Rebirth Chapter 1: Resurrection © Dylan Clearbrook New York Countryside 

Nestled in a quiet country setting, the institution offered a place for its patients to recuperate in relative peacefulness. The high, barbed wire topped walls insured that many of the 'distractions' of the outside world wouldn't intervene while, at the same time, insured that the outside would not be troubled by some of the more 'disturbed' patients. 

Standing deep within the shadows of the trees and bushes that all but obscured the walls from the sight of the patients, the tall man wondered for perhaps the hundredth time what he was doing here. What force had drawn him here from his home and labs in upstate New York? 

"I see that I am not the only one to be called." The voice deep and rich whispered from further in the shadows. The tall man's body never moved, yet his head spun a hundred and eighty degrees, his eyes narrowing as he searched the shadows. A soft chuckle emerged, followed by the hazy outline of a man, his clock billowing in the early morning breeze. "I swear, Reed Richards, no matter how many time I see you do that I get chills." 

Reed Richards, AKA Mr. Fantastic, smiled and allowed his body to turn. "Echoes of the Exorcist, Dr. Strange?" he asked, a mischievous gleam in his eye. Stephen Strange, Sorcerer Supreme of the Universe, smiled and shook his head in mock despair. He then cast his gaze on the distant building of the mental institution.

"You said called." Richards prompted, following the look.

"Yes." Strange nodded slightly, his expression becoming one of both concentration and puzzlement. "Perhaps to you it was an overwhelming urge to come here. To me it was nothing less than a command that I could not fail to recognize." He looked at Richards. "And I suspect that, had you attempted to repress that urge you would have found yourself here in any case." 

"Probably." Richards agreed. "As it was, it was an urge stronger than any I had ever felt. And since I had never heard of this place before, my curiosity was aroused." Strange nodded. 

"I was in my Sanctum Sanctorum, in ritual circle, when the summons was, uh, delivered, so to speak." Strange rarely discussed his beliefs. Richards knew, however, that the Mage was pagan and that he would often spend his time in the Inner Sanctum communing with his Goddess. 

"So we were called." Richards summed it up. "For what purpose?" 

"Perhaps that will be revealed when we arrive at our final destination." Strange replied. He moved closer to Richards and moved his hand in an intricate gesture. "Come, I will take us there." Before Richards could protest, both men winked into nothingness. 

"Okay, that was payback for the Exorcist remark, wasn't it?" They had materialized in a small, darkened room, Richards putting a hand against a wall to steady himself as he regained his balance. Strange allowed a slight smile to cross his lips, but otherwise gave no indication that he had heard. His attention was on the room's only occupant. Richards moved quickly to the bed and began an examination.

"A young woman, late teens or early twenties, I would say." He whispered. He brushed blonde bangs back and examined the wide-open eyes. "No recognition, no movement other than that common to involuntary system functions." He felt her arms and his eyes widened. "A very dense muscular structure. Athletic and yet," His eyes examined the contours of the young woman's body, "she does not have the muscular definition of a body builder." 

Strange contemplated the woman while Richards continued his examination. Then, stepping forward, he placed the fingers of his left hand on her forehead, just above and between the eyebrows, where the so‑called third eye is positioned. He closed his eyes and concentrated, his face devoid of expression. After a moment, he stepped back. 

"She is not human, Reed." His voice was soft. "She is humanoid, but her origins are most definitely not terrestrial." He paused, "Nor is she native to this Reality." 

"What?" Richards stopped his examination and looked at Strange. "Explain that." 

"Perhaps I should be the one to give that explanation." Both men turned as a third seemingly stepped into the room from ‑ nothingness.

"Access." Dr. Strange nodded, as if his suspicions had been confirmed. Richards looked from the woman, to Strange and finally to the newcomer.

"What is your connection to this woman, Access?" He asked, though he suspected he already knew the answer. "Is she some how connected to the Amalgam incident?" 

"Yes, in a round about way."

"She is from the other Reality, is she not?" Strange inquired. "I thought I caught some residual images in her mind, though the images did not quite correspond with what I know of that Reality."

Before Access could answer, Richards cut in.

"Images?" He bent and peered again into the young woman's empty eyes. 

"Residual images only." Strange clarified. "Images retained within the brain itself." He knew what Richards was asking and shook his head. "There is only that. There is no activity, no…soul, if you will." He sighed and turned to Access. "This is nothing more than an empty shell. A shell, I believe Access is going to tell us comes from the other Reality, but, at the same time, does not."

"I know from viewing that the other Reality is, in actuality, a Multiverse, much like our own." Richards mused, partially to himself, "If she is from that Reality, it is entirely possible that she comes from a similar version of that portion of the Multiverse that we contacted during Amalgam." Richards frowned as he once again contemplated the impossibility of such an event. It was, by all he knew, against all the rules of science. Yet here, in this young woman, was more proof that science did not have all the answers.... yet! 

"Dr. Strange is correct." Access confirmed. "It is a long story, and I am afraid that time is not something that we have an abundance of. If I might, I would ask that we forestall lengthy explanations until we have transported this young lady to Mr. Richards' Lab." Richards raised his eyebrows, but nodded.

"Will not the orderlies miss a patient should she suddenly disappear?" Strange asked, though he was already preparing to transport them all to Headquarters of the famed Fantastic Four.

"Hardly." Access snorted. "They do not even know she is here. As far as they are concerned, this is an empty room."

"Curiouser and Curiouser." Strange muttered. With a minute gesture, all four figures faded.

Fantastic Four HQ 

"Now I believe explanations are in order." Reed Richards demanded. The four had materialized in the Fantastic Four's headquarters at Pier Four and Richards had immediately enlisted the aid of his wife, Sue Richards, A.K.A. Invisible Woman. Using a floating stretcher, Sue had whisked the young woman to the Examination room of the infirmary. 

"Yes, I believe that now would be an appropriate time, Access." Strange agreed. "Who is that young woman and why, if she belongs in the other Reality, is she here?" 

"To begin with, she is from that Reality, that much is true, yet she no longer belongs to that Reality." He looked at his questioners. "Over there, she no longer exists. In fact, she has never existed, according to their current history."

"I don't believe I understand." Dr. Strange admitted. Access sighed. 

"It is difficult to explain." He stated. "Over there events transpired shortly before the Amalgam incident that caused tremendous upheavals in the fabric of space and time." 

"I recall taking readings on two such events in that universe." Richards confided. "Once I determined that there was no danger to our universe and that no action on our part could help I moved on to other projects. In essence..."

"The universe re‑booted itself." Sue interjected, sensing a technical explanation that neither Strange nor Access would understand. Reed looked at her and then smiled somewhat apologetically.

"Yes, reboot is a good term. A very apt term, in this case. As I said earlier, it is a Multiverse over there. During the first period of upheaval, several dimensions merged into one."

"Correct. That woman is, or was, a clone of a heroine of the other Reality." Access continued. "A heroine that existed prior to that merger. A heroine that gave her life to save her Reality and her kinsman from the entity causing the upheavals that made the merger necessary. As it was, she was only partially successful. Her sacrifice, however, gave the remaining heroes time to come up with a plan to defeat the entity and to repair the damage done. Yet, in that repairing, time had to be restarted. Rebooted, as Mrs. Richards so aptly put it. History was rewritten." Access paused, shaking his head. "When history was rewritten, the heroine that gave her life was written out. Yet there remained some anomalies. A few paradoxes remained. This young lady is one such paradox."

"You said she was a clone of the original?" Richards prompted. With the other two men, they watched as Sue quickly and expertly attached sensors and liquid tubes to the woman in question.

"Yes. And that is the paradox." Access acknowledged. "The original, according to that Reality's current time line, did not, in fact could not, exist. Yet here was the clone." 

"And the cosmos itself will eventually work to correct any paradox." Strange concluded. "At least in this Reality."

"And in that Reality." Access nodded and brushed a lock of blond hair from the young woman's face. "First to go was any knowledge of her origins." He looked up. "Oh yes, she was quite aware of where she came from. You see, she was originally created to be a foe of the original. During a battle, the original exposed the clone to a type of radiation that nullified her powers. Then with the help of her kinsman, she corrected a mental imbalance in the clone's mind, gave her a new identity and helped her make a new start as a regular person. But, as I said, her knowledge of her origins was the first to go. As events progressed, she eventually devolved to the shell she now is. This is nothing but the physical, empty container."

"Why bring her here, Access?" Richards demanded, frowning at the figure on the examining table. He swung his gaze back to Access. "If, as you say, this is but a shell, wouldn't it have been kinder to let the cosmos finish what it started?" 

"Perhaps." Access surprised them by agreeing. "Unfortunately, Amalgam happened before that could be done."

"Amalgam." Strange rubbed his chin with one hand while the other fingered his medallion. "When our two Realities briefly merged. I can but assume that during this merger, she was stranded over here."

"Right. When things were straightened out, there was no place for her on the other side. Paradox corrected. So she remained."

"And if we send her back?" 

"She will cease to exist." Access confirmed. "Unless she is clearly and firmly anchored in this Reality."

"However, that is not all there is to this, is it?" Strange questioned. "You think there is something that Reed Richards and I can do to help this young woman." 

"What is it you think we can do, Access?" Richards demanded. Access smiled 

"Why, restore her, of course."

"Restore...what?" Sue demanded. "You said your self she is gone. There is nothing to restore. The best we can do is keeping the body alive. But would that really be a kindness?" Access looked extremely uncomfortable.

"I have reason to believe that the...essence, soul if you want, of the original is also on this side." He finally blurted.

Both Sue and Reed Richards looked at the dimensional traveler as if he had suddenly sprouted a second head or a third hand. Strange, however, contemplated first Access and then the young woman.

"I believe you might be correct." He said finally, moving closer to the young woman. 

"Stephen!" Sue exclaimed. "Even if he is, what can we do about it?" 

"What evidence do you base your conclusion on?" Richards demanded. 

"We were both called to that institution, Reed Richards." Strange explained, his eyes never leaving the woman. "Who or what called us there? Not Access. That is not among his abilities." Whatever retort Richards had planned died unspoken as he realized the truth of Strange's statement.

"Are you saying a disembodied soul urged us to go there?" 

"No. Such a soul could not possess the power of the summons I received. Such power would have to come from some other entity. An entity immensely more powerful."

"Great. So now you're telling me God called us to be there." 

"No. Not god in the Christian sense. But a god, nonetheless. In fact, I would wager that it was this woman's God."

"Rao." Access whispered. Richards looked at the traveler, his eyes thoughtful. 

"I have heard that name before."

"My God, Reed. Look at her!" Sue exclaimed, her eyes wide with recognition. "Really look at her." She turned to Access. "You mentioned her kinsman." Then to Richards. "Reed, you can see the family resemblance."

Richards bent closer to the girl, studying her facial features. 

"Perhaps." He muttered to himself.

"Mrs. Richards is correct, sir." Access stated. "The original was indeed a cousin of that Reality's Superman." He paused. "Or rather, she was a cousin of the Superman that existed prior to the reboot, as Mrs. Richards called it. When time and history were changed, so too were many of the histories of the inhabitants of that Reality." He motioned towards the young woman. "For instance, this woman had her powers stripped from her by a radioactive substance that does not exist in the rewritten history. More, though she was not more powerful than the Superman in that version of their history, she is definitely more powerful than the current incarnation."

"Hmmm, I don't think Bruce Banner would care to hear that. " Strange mused. "If I am not mistaken, it was his lot to battle Superman." He smiled thinly. "Though the brain of Dr. Banner and the brawn of the Hulk have been merged, He still does not take defeat gracefully." The tension that had been building was broken as they each got a chuckle from that. "Access, tell me." Strange continued. "How is it that you know the history of this young woman. If, as you say, these events happened prior to Amalgam, then there is no way you could have gotten that information from anyone living now."

"True." Access acknowledged with a shrug. "All I can say is that I was given this information by the same entity that called you to the institution to meet me." 

"And the entity's interest in this young woman?" Richards pressed. 

"Call it the act of a loving parent that wishes to see justice done." Access pointed at the young woman. "Rao wishes only that this daughter be restored and be allowed to live as she was meant. Rao, the god of an exploded world in that Reality wants nothing more than to reward her for her sacrifices and nobility.

"And nothing less will suffice than the rebirth of Kara Zor‑El! The resurrection of Supergirl!" 

Chapter 2 Fantastic Four HQ 

There was a stunned silence for a moment after Access' proclamation. 

"Now wait a moment, Access." Reed Richards turned to a nearby wall screen and began calling up data. "Both during and after Amalgam I worked to establish a database on those various individuals of the other universe that we interacted with." He stepped back as a figure appeared on the screen. Frozen in apparent conversation with a contemporary, the photo showed a young blond woman, her blue and red garb a feminine version of the suit worn by Superman. Referring to the picture, Richards continued. "As you can see, Supergirl does exist in that Reality." 

"A Supergirl exists, Mr. Richards." Access corrected. "That Supergirl was originally a construct created in a pocket universe to fill the void left when that pocket universe's hero, Superboy, was killed." He held up a hand to forestall any interruption. "Yes, I am aware that the Superboy of the other Reality is still very much alive. To make a long story short, during a period of upheaval between reboots, a scientist, by the name of Lex Luther, created this Supergirl. A man I imagine would be on par with you, Mr. Richards and your peer, Dr. Doom, in his intelligence. In the pocket universe, he used that ability to aid his fellow man. In the main universe his alternate self was every bit as evil and callous as Dr. Doom." He paused to take a breath. "Needless to say that this Supergirl is in no fashion related to Superman. Her powers are not even the same." He smiled in a whimsical way. "It is amusing to see history, though rewritten, take similar paths." He pointed to the woman on the table. "When her original came to Earth, she was found by her cousin and eventually adopted by Earth people in the small town of Leesburg. She took the secret identity of Linda Danvers." Now he pointed at the picture. "That Supergirl, in order to save the life of a young girl named Linda Danvers, merged with her to create a single being. So now HER secret identity is Linda Danvers." 

"This is all good and well." Strange broke in. "But what exactly is it you wish us to do. Or perhaps I should ask, how do you expect us to do it?" 

"I don't know." Access shrugged. "I only know that her soul must be joined with this body." This said while looking at Dr. Strange. Then to Reed Richards "and that the powers belonging to the body be restored to it." 

Their attention centered on their conversation and the young woman on the table, none of the four noticed the small spider like shape that slowly crept out of the shadows in a corner of the ceiling. Scurrying quickly, the spider thing moved down a wall, moving behind machinery and out of site. Once at floor level, it moved around and under the machinery, getting as close as possible. Finally, again hidden in the shadows it stopped and settled to the floor, it's multifaceted eyes locked on the quartet. After a moment, a fissure appeared on it's back. 

From the opening arose an apparatus that resembled nothing more than a very miniaturized version of a satellite dish. The spider thing would record events and then, using every anti detection device at it's disposal, make it's way out of the Fantastic Four's Headquarters. Once clear it would fulfill it's programming. It would ready it's recordings for transmission and then, in a single, micro second burst, it would send it all skyward, bouncing the signal off a satellite. From there the signal would be transmitted back to another portion of Earth. In this case, Latavia. 

The Rebirth: Resurrection

"Dear?" Sue moved into the darkened Lab, frowning at the sight of Reed sitting at his console, seemingly lost in thought. 

It had been just two days since he had agreed to work on the problem of restoring the powers to the young woman. "Kara." Sue reminded herself. "I have to get used to that." He had worked almost non stop since then, taking blood samples right then and there. And now here he was, simply sitting there. 

"Reed, is anything wrong?" She moved up next to him, running a hand through his hair. 

"Wha?" Reed shook himself from his contemplation and looked up at his wife. "Oh, not really, dear." He said. "I've isolated the type of radiation that caused her power loss. " he reached over and flicked a switch on the console. Before him a screen sprang to life, showing and enlarged cell, lightly outlined in a yellow glow. 

"Access was under the impression that her powers had been stripped from her." He explained. "That is not entirely accurate. It would be more accurate to say that they had been masked. See the glow around the cell? Each and every cell of her body is covered with that. Basically it is a type of radiation that, while not harmful, attaches itself to the cells of persons of her origin. " He stood up, stretching. "To restore her powers, I simply have to cleanse her system." 

"Is that a problem?" Sue asked, not understanding Reed's moodiness. 

"In itself, no." He admitted. "In fact, I have already developed the apparatus needed to perform the procedure." He stared at the view screen. "Just a matter of minutes and her powers would be restored." 

"I don't understand, then." Sue tried not to let the exasperation she was feeling show. "What is the problem? What is troubling you?" 

"I can't fool you, can I?" Reed smiled and, stretching and arm out to encircle his wife he pulled her close.

"Not usually, Reed Richards!" Sue smiled to take the sting out of her words. "Now tell me what's wrong." 

"I can restore her, physically, at least." Reed explained. "But I am not now sure that it is a wise thing to do." 

"What do you mean?"

"You heard Access, Dear. That young woman..."

"Kara, Reed. Her name is Kara."

"Okay, Kara. Kara was, will be, more powerful than the other Reality's Superman. Will we be doing the right thing in releasing that kind of power in our own Reality?" Sue stepped back, clearly shocked.

"Reed Richards how dare you!"

"What? Dear I am just concerned..."

"No, you are moralizing. You are trying to play god!" Sue was clearly angered. Taking a breath, she calmed herself...somewhat. "Reed, Kara is not one of your pet projects. She is a living being." 

"Sue, look at this." Reed adjusted the controls on his console and the yellow infused cell was replaced with another cell...sans the yellow glow. "This is a single cell that I cleansed." He explained. "I then ran tests on that cell." He looked at Sue, the worry clear in his face. "Dear, that wom...Kara, is virtually invulnerable. According to the tests I ran, only radiation similar to that yellow radiation," He adjusted the controls again, this time depicting several multi colored substances. "can harm affect her. I was able to reproduce the yellow radiation and discovered that, by slightly modifying the wavelength, which, incidentally changes the color of the radioactive substance, I could produce radiation that have other affects." He pointed to a green substance on the screen. "For instance, exposure to this substance could kill her. Though once removed from the proximity of the substance, her regenerative abilities would quickly nullify the affects. Provided, of course, the substance were removed before she was irrevocably poisoned." He pointed to the yellow substance. "Exposure to this substance will, as we have seen, mask, or nullify her powers." He grimaced. "The affects of this were permanent and instantaneous. No longer. Once cleansed, the cell developed a form of resilience. Now exposure to the yellow radiation will only mask her powers temporarily. A few hours at the most." He pointed to a red substance. "This will have unpredictable results. Each one different." He shook his head and pointed to a white substance. "This has no effect whatsoever on her, but is extremely deadly to earth plant life. The blue substance had no affect on anything, so far as I can tell." 

"It sounds as if you have been hedging your bets." Sue remarked dryly. 

"What do you mean?"

"Reed, you were worried that you would be releasing something that could not be controlled. A power of tremendous destructive capabilities. So you made sure you had some insurance." She pointed at the screen. "If something does go wrong with Kara, you have made sure that we have methods of stopping her." She turned her finger to him and poked him in the chest with it. "That being the case, Reed Richards, you have done what you could to safe guard our world. Now you get busy and cure that young lady." She turned and stalked towards the exit. 

"Yes dear. Oh and Dear?"

"Yes?" Sue whirled around, ready for another confrontation. 

"Kara, dear. Her name is Kara."

"Oh!" Sue glared at him and stamped out, Reed's laughter following her. Just outside the lab, she allowed the scowl to disappear to be replaced with a smile. 

Sue gone, Reed returned to his work. In a matter of moments, it would all be up to Dr. Strange. 

In the shadows, a small spider like thing settled down to watch and wait. 

Sanctum Sanctorum! 

Stephen Strange pushed away from his desk, rubbing the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. 

Since taking his leave of Reed and Sue Richards and Access, he had been poring over his tombs and grimoires. He had initially, decided upon a course of research and, so far, had obtained nothing that would give him the results needed. 

The problem was not in the act of restoring the soul. There were multitudes of spells and gimmicks for trapping or stealing a soul that could be reversed. But in each case, such a spell or gimmick required that the soul in question be contained or, at the least, readily available.

But how does one go about restoring a soul that is wandering free? Strange looked up, his brows arching. One doesn't. One first locates the soul and then proceeds. 

Okay then. So how to locate the soul? His first thought was to travel to the other Realty (an ability he suspected Access knew he had) to get more information. He dismissed that however, after more contemplation. He already knew more about Kara than he would be able to discover over there. As far as they were concerned, she did not nor had she ever existed. 

He had also contemplated enlisting the aid of Adam Warlock. He dismissed that notion as well. For reasons of his own, he was reluctant to trust Warlock. 

Perhaps it's the name." He had mused, at one time. In ancient times, a Warlock was an oath breaker, a betrayer. Not a male witch. Today, no self-respecting witch would claim to be a warlock and would instantly shun one who did claim to be one. Today, both male and female practitioners of the old religions used the term witch. Old Religions.

Strange stood and walked to the center of the room. Perhaps there was a way to gather more information. And he would not have to travel to the other Reality to get it. Quickly setting up an altar, Strange began Casting a Circle. 

Lighting the candles and incense, he picked up his athame and moved to what would be the Northern boundary of his circle and began. Raising the blade up and outward, he used it to trace a pentacle in the air, the blade leaving purple trails. 

"Guardians of the North. Lords of Air. I call you forth to guard and protect the circle. Let nothing evil enter within. By my will, so mote it be!" 

For a moment, nothing seemed to happen, then, slowly, a bluish fog seemed to stream in from nowhere, covering the northern quarter. Lowering the athame, Strange slowly traced a curving line in purple flame as he moved to the east. Once again he raised the athame, again tracing a fiery pentacle as he called out. 

"Guardians of the East. Lords of Earth. Rise up and come forth. Guard and protect this circle and all within. Let no evil enter. By my will, so mote it be!" 

Twice more he called the quarters, calling forth the Guardians of the South, Lords of Fire and the Guardians of the West, Lords of Water. Each time leaving a purple pentacle blazing in the air and connecting each quarter with a fiery boundary until he once again stood in the north, the Circle closed. 

Relaxing for a moment, Strange gathered his thoughts as he moved back behind the altar. Usually, after calling the Quarters and raising the Circle, he would call upon the Lord and Lady, using those aspects of the God and Goddess he felt most comfortable with. For, like most followers of the Old Religions, Strange was of the opinion that no matter what names one used to contact the Deities, one was still contacting the same being or beings. The name used was merely a focus for the person calling. If a person wished to obtain divine aid in matters of the heart, one would naturally call upon Aphrodite. In such a way, a persons energies would be focused towards the desired results. 

In this case, Strange felt he would get better results by calling upon that aspect of Deity known to the orphaned Kryptonian. 

Raising his athame, Strange once again traced a pentacle and began the Call of the God. Rao! 

The Rebirth: Resurrection

All was quiet in the Sanctum Sanctorum. In a circle of purple flames, Stephen Strange sat cross legged, eyes closed. Had there been any witnesses, it would seem as if he slept. In actuality, he was not present at all. 

His call had been answered instantly and with more forcefulness than he had expected. As if the Deity in question had been waiting for just such a request (request, not summons. One does NOT summon Deity.) 

The presence of Rao had filled the circle, enveloping him, whispering to him. He had felt himself forced to the ground. Presumably to save him from falling when his astral self was detached from his physical self.

Though no words were clearly spoken, Strange recognized that he was being commanded to follow. So follow he did. The trip was not long, but then distances and times meant absolutely nothing in this astral place. It seemed no more than a blink of an eye and Strange was soon standing over the huddled figure of a young woman. With a shock, he realized that he was seeing Kara. 

"Kara? Kara Zor‑El?" Though speech, as used in the mundane world was impossible in this place, communication was just as simple. The woman, who had been crying, looked up at him through tear filled eyes. 

"You know me?" Was the hesitant response. Strange knelt down beside her and took one of her hands, his heart going out to her. 

"No." he answered honestly. "But I know of you. And I know what has happened to you." He stood and pulled her to her feet. Pulling her close and holding her tight. "And I am here to help!" 

Chapter 3 Sanctum Sanctorum! 

With ease that comes from practice, Strange retraced his path until he stood just outside his body.

"Kara," He pushed the young woman back slightly and tilted her head, forcing her to look at him. "I need you to stay here." 

"Where are you going?" Her question was frantic and her grip on his arms was almost painful.

"Look. You must remain calm if I am to help you."

"Help me?" Now her voice had a hysterical note to it. "How can you help me? I'm dead!" The last was shouted as she tore away from him. "Dead. The Anti‑Monitor killed me." She started to laugh. "I always wondered where Kryptonians went when they died. Now I know. Nowhere." She whirled around to face him. "So tell me, how are you going to help me? Can you raise the dead?"

"Usually, no." Strange's reply was dry. "But in this case, I think I will be doing something similar."

"In the name of Rao what are you babbling about?"

"Actually, Rao has had a hand in this." Strange took Kara by the arms and gave her a shake. "Think, Kara. Do you remember defeating a clone of yourself? Do you remember stripping her of her powers?" 

"Y‑yes." Kara whispered, her anger and defiance drained. 

"Good." Strange stepped back. "I can't give you the whole story. I don't know the whole story. Suffice it to say that I have that clone and I propose to unite you, the spirit, with it." Kara stepped away, a horrified look on her face.

"NO!" She shook her head. "I can't let you do that. As much as I want to live again, I can't condone destroying another's life to restore mine."

"There will be no destruction." Strange explained, inwardly pleased at this sign of nobility. "She is an empty shell, Kara. Whatever spirit she may have once possessed, has long since been extinguished. All that is left is the physical container. It must be filled soon or we will have no choice but to let the body die as well."

"I don't understand..." Kara began.

"I know. But soon you will." _And may the gods help you when you realize the whole truth_. Strange thought to himself. "Let me assure you that, if there were any danger that restoring you would cause harm to the previous inhabitant, then I would not be a party to this. But as it stands, you both benefit. The body regains it's spirit and you regain your life."

"A life with out my powers." Kara said, somewhat bitterly. Then she smiled. "But it will be a life. That will be enough."

"You must remain here." Strange told her again, deciding not to reveal what Reed Richards had done. "I must make some preparations. When you next hear my voice, all you have to do is follow it. Just follow the sound of my voice and do not struggle. When you do, it will seem as if you are falling asleep. When you awaken, it will be in your body. Do you understand?"

Kara nodded. She reached out and grabbed his hand before he could pull away.

"Thank you." She paused. "I don't know what to call you." 

"To the world at large, I am known as Dr. Strange." He gripped her hand in both of his, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "You can call me...a friend."

After returning to his body, Strange had cut an opening in the circle, carefully sealing it behind him as he stepped out, rather than dismissing it altogether.

First he called Reed Richards, informing him that he was ready. He then left instructions with his houseman, Wong, that Richards and company be shown straight to the Sanctorum when they arrived. He then he began opened one of his many grimoires and began studying while he waited. 

Though not long, the wait was longer than he anticipated. He had just closed the grimoire and stood when a soft knock sounded on the room's only door. The door then opened, at a gesture from Strange, to allow his guests entrance. Reed came first, pushing the floating stretcher bearing the young woman before him. He was not surprised when Sue Richards entered behind him. The third figure startled him somewhat. More startling was the fact that he had not sensed his presence to begin with. "Too deep in study." He muttered to himself.

"Charles Xavier." Strange bowed slightly to the man in the floating chair. He then turned questioning eyes towards Reed.

"Sue suggested that he accompany us." Richards explained. "After I told her what you had told me about her mental state she suggested having him here would be a wise precaution. And I agree." He smiled wryly. "I don't imagine that you want some one as powerful as her to be throwing a tantrum in your Sanctorum."

"Hmmm. Quite right. I am ashamed that I failed to consider the need."

"Have no worries, Dr. Strange." Xavier spoke up. "I will not interfere unless I sense the need to calm the subject." He smiled. "Though I feel that before long both I and the X‑Men will be more involved."

"Possibly." Strange mused. "Perhaps at your school she well be able to adjust to life in this Reality easier."

"My thoughts exactly." Xavier nodded.

"Very well then." Strange moved to the stretcher and pushed it closer to the circle. "Once I am in the circle, I must ask you to remain quiet and to remain outside. No matter what you see or what happens, do not cross into the circle." He waited for each of them to acknowledge his instructions and then turned to Xavier. "I am sure that if your talents are needed, the circle will not hinder them. So long as you do not physically cross the barrier."

"Understood, Dr. Strange."

"Good." Turning his back to the observers, he raised his athame and carefully cut an opening in the circle. He pushed the stretcher through first and then, once inside reversed his actions, once again sealing the ritual space.

That accomplished, he turned to the stretcher and studying the controls for a moment, killed the power, allowing it to float gently to the floor. A quick examination of the sacred space, making sure all was ready, he began.

Sinking down to his knees beside the stretcher, he lifted the athame high, point upwards. Softly at first, he began to chant, his voice growing louder with each repetition. As he raised the energy needed, he turned the athame down, its point to the woman. 

Outside the circle Sue shifted uncomfortably.

"Not to worry." The voice sounded in her head and she turned to see Xavier looking at her. "The knife, or Athame as it is called by Practitioners of Wicca and other old religions, is used merely as a focus. He will not use it to harm her. What he is doing now is focusing the energy he has raised through himself and out, via the tip of the athame, into the woman." Sue nodded her understanding and looked back at the circle.

Strange's chanting had grown almost to a shout. He slowly gained his feet, careful to keep the blade of the athame pointed at the woman. He repeated the chant one last time and then called out. 

"Kara! Kara Zor‑El! I, Stephen Strange, summon you forth. I, Sorcerer Supreme, do command you to come forth. Kara Zor‑El, I, Stephen Strange do command you to live!" He called out again and yet again, each time growing more forceful in his summoning.

Outside the circle Xavier grew alert and bent his attention not on Strange but on the woman in the stretcher.

Sue, watching closely, stifled a gasp and gripped Reed's arm as first a hand and the a leg twitched.

What happened next was both terrifying and awing.

A strangled, horrified scream erupted from the throat of the woman, her eyes flying open wide with fear. Then, in an instant, she was in the air, streaking straight for the ceiling.

"NO!" The thought blasted into her mind, sweeping past the fear and the confusion. "Calm! You are safe. You are with friends. Calm, Kara. Calm!"

At the same moment, she felt herself caught and held, unable to move, unable to escape.

"It appears." a voice she dimly recognized was saying, "That not only is she vulnerable to those radiations, Reed, but she is vulnerable to magick as well." She felt herself being pulled down. 

"Rest, Kara." The voice in her mind was saying. "Sleep. Soon you will awaken and all will be explained. First you must rest and give yourself time to adjust. Sleep."

Adjust? Adjust to what? Her mind grew hazy as the voice droned on. As the light faded she felt herself being gently lowered back into the stretcher.

"Now that was interesting." Reed commented. After making sure that the woman was, indeed sleeping, Strange had ended the circle, dismissing the four Quarters. Then he, with his quests, had moved the patient to a vacant room in the vast mansion. In a sitting room just outside, Reed, Sue, and Stephen had gathered. Xavier was with the woman still, doing what he could, while she slept, to help. 

"It will not be much." He had warned. "I will not intrude unnecessarily." He had looked at them, wondering if they truly understood what the woman had gone through.

"Indeed." Strange now agreed. "I fully expected to be repairing the ceiling of my Sanctorum. I reacted purely on instinct. I never expected that she would be powerless against magick."

"That is interesting. Though not totally unexpected if you think it through." Sue replied. "Magick is not physical. "

"That hold Strange had on her was indeed physical, dear. She was not going anywhere." Reed countered.

"I believe I understand what you are saying." Strange nodded to Sue. "And you are quite correct. It is not physical in the sense that we are used to calling physical. Had I used magick to throw something at her, say a chunk of wood, I am sure that she would have shrugged it off as she would any physical or energy attack. Yet magick works differently. I believe that she is just as vulnerable to magick as any normal being."

They were interrupted as Xavier entered the room. Behind him to door swung closed gently, as if pulled by an invisible hand. 

"She is resting peacefully now." He informed them. "She will awaken calmer, but still somewhat confused. If it is no bother I would like to remain and be present when she does awaken. She will probably sleep for a couple of days."

"It will be no problem at all. I will have the room next to this one readied for you." Strange said.

Sue and Reed soon departed, heading back to Pier Four, but not before getting Strange's word that he would contact them should anything new arise and informing him that they would return soon to, as Sue put it, smiling: "be formally introduced to her." 

"And now?" Strange asked, once the couple had departed. 

"Now we wait." Xavier answered. Turning his chair he regarded the closed door that led into the young woman's room. "We wait."

Chapter 4 Home of Dr. Strange 

"Physically, she is in the peak of health." Calling on his past as a surgeon, Strange had insisted on examining Kara after a light breakfast. "What we are seeing now is the process of her psyche taking up residence."

"Which would account for the fact that she has yet to realize that she has full use of her powers." Xavier mused. He and Strange observed Kara through a window of Strange's mansion as she wandered slowly through the immaculate gardens of the estate. How Strange had contrived to create a vast garden estate, apparently open to the sky, within a brownstone in Greenwich, Xavier did not even try to understand. Wong, keeping a discreet distance, trailed her in the off chance she would need anything.

"Which brings to mind another question." Strange looked down at the chair ridden man. "Her lack of knowledge does not mean the powers are not there. What is stopping her from accidentally crushing something or suddenly taking off in flight?"

"Habit." Xavier stated. "For many years she existed in dual roles. One as Supergirl, the other as a normal Earth woman. To maintain her identity as the latter, she was forced to exhibit extreme caution, allowing none of her unique abilities to show. I would imagine that, eventually, it became so ingrained that it was subconscious on her part. She no longer had to think about it. Both the body and the psyche know this and are reacting accordingly. Merely on a subconscious level."

"So, once she has 'settled', so to speak, she should be come aware that she has those abilities?"

"Perhaps not." Xavier countered. "At this point in time, her own psyche is keeping her from questioning what has happened. For the moment, much of what she knows has been blocked off from her conscious mind. For the time being perhaps that is for the best. Yet when she does begin to recall and can work through the shock, she will naturally assume that she is powerless. She herself had exposed the clone to the Yellow Kryptonite."

"The yellow what?" Strange turned and looked at Xavier, puzzled. 

"The yellow radiation that masked the clones powers." Xavier explained. "I learned during my brief contact with her that the substance was known to her as Kryptonite. A radioactive substance, I do believe, from her home world."

Totally unaware of the men discussing her, Kara walked through the gardens, stopping now and again to admire a piece of art work and a beautiful floral arrangement.

Prof. Xavier, as the man in the floating wheel chair had introduced himself, had been correct. Though Dr. Strange had seem extremely familiar, she could not recall at any time meeting him.

Breakfast had been wonderful. She had not realized she was so hungry until the smell of food caused her mouth to water and her stomach to rumble. She smiled now, remembering her embarrassment, hoping neither of the gentlemen had heard the grumbling.

She swayed slightly as the world wobbled again. She had asked Dr. Strange about the dizziness when he examined her and had been extremely relieved when he informed her that the periods of dizziness would eventually diminish in frequency and in duration.

Moving carefully, she found a spot near a small fountain and settled to the ground, her legs tucked up under her. What had happened to her? From the way Dr. Strange and Prof. Xavier talked, she had been .... unwell.... for some time. 

She couldn't recall coming down with any illness. She sighed heavily. The truth of the matter was, she could recall very little of anything. But something kept nagging at her. Puzzled she looked up in the sky...as if searching for something.

"Kal, where are you?" She whispered.

When Xavier grew tense, Strange picked up on it instantly. 

"What is it?" He demanded. He looked out the window, but all he could see was the girl, looking up into the sky.

"She is starting to remember." Xavier announced. "Slowly, and in fragments, at best. But starting, nonetheless." He turned sad eyes to Strange. "She is starting to wonder where her cousin is." 

The Rebirth: Resurrection

Lit primarily by torches set in holders along the walls, the throne room was cast in shadows that danced in counter point with the flickering flames. The medieval affect was, however, ruined by the flat view screen that extended from the ceiling before the throne and the robotic servant/guardians that stood to either side of the throne, their metallic bodies burnished and painted so as not to cast any form of reflection

On a stand to the right, a metallic mask/helmet rested. It's cold, dark visage a mere reflection of the inner turmoil of the throne room's single, living, occupant.

His horribly disfigured face hidden in the shadows, Dr. Victor Von Doom once again replayed the recording he had received from his spy‑spider.

"A Supergirl." He mused. Already his twisted, genius mind was running through possible advantages and problems this new player could cause him. In the end, he decided simply to wait and watch....for now. "It shall be interesting to see what comes of this. " The picture on the screen zoomed to a close up of the blonde woman on Reed Richard's examination table. "By now she has been taken to Stephen Strange." With a wave of a hand he dismissed the viewer, allowing it to retract into the ceiling and out of sight. "Supergirl. A woman to watch for. Yes. This could be interesting indeed." 

The Rebirth: Resurrection

_Gods she hurt! She could never recall hurting so much in her life. She could not stifle the groan that passed her lips as she struggled to her feet._

_The battle still raged, though now some distance from her. The Anti‑Monitor's last blast had knocked her for a loop, that was sure. Taking stock of the situation she winced as first Green Lantern and then Superboy went tumbling away. Soon, the battle area was cleared with the exception of two combatants, steadily slugging it out. Kal and the Anti‑Monitor._

_She gasped as Kal was forced to his knees and then sent tumbling head over heels to lie motionless some distance away._

_"KAL!" Fear for her cousin swept through her, kicking her in to action. In a single leap she had cleared the distance between them, landing lightly by her cousin. "Kal." His face was a mass of bruises, blood trickling from between tight clenched lips. He groaned, trying to rise._

_"Have to stop him." The words were forced out as if he had to physically wrench them out of his mouth. Fear turned to rage as Kara turned her eyes to the rapidly approaching Anti‑Monitor. Coming to finish the job._

_"You Bastard!" She screamed, launching herself over the still struggling form of Kal‑El. She became a blue, yellow and red streak as she vented her rage in an all out attack. With this bastard there was no holding back. For the first time, Supergirl unleashed every ounce of her power ‑ and aimed it at the Anti‑Monitor!_

_With heat vision streaming from her eyes and her powerful fists moving in a blur to fast to follow, she pummeled the startled Anti‑Monitor. Bringing him to a stand still and then backing him up. _

_She had no idea what any of the other heroes were doing. Right now, the only thing that concerned her was the complete and utter destruction of this vile being that threatened her, her cousin, her entire adopted world, her very reality. She smashed her way through the Anti‑Monitor's guard, her fists battering him non‑stop. _

_"NO!" The Anti‑Monitor's defiant shout was tinged with fear as he steadily felt himself being beaten back and then, as his footing became unstable, lifted and thrown by a single massive punch. Yet even then he was not granted a respite. Launching herself like a missile, both hands extended in white knuckled fists of rage, she struck the Anti‑Monitor again, the sound of the impact ringing throughout the battle field._

_Again and again she struck, knowing instinctively that her foe was weakening. Yet this foe had at least one more trick. As she swooped in for another smashing blow, she was caught in a tremendous surge of energy._

_Things became blurry after that. She was aware of striking the ground and of Kal yelling her name and then nothing for several long moments. She knew she should get up, get back into the fight, yet no matter how much she willed it, her body would not respond. Finally, she felt gentle, shaking hands, lift her head. She opened her eyes, looking up at Kal's tear streaked face._

_"I tried." She managed to whisper. _

_"You weakened him, Kara." Superman replied, emotion constricting his throat. "We stopped him here." _

_She tried to smile but had no way of knowing if she succeeded. As everything began to fade she could hear Kal crying out._

_"Kara! KARA!"_

"Kara?." The voice was calm and sounded nothing like Kal's. "Kara, wake up. You are having a nightmare."

Her eyes flew open and she looked up at the concerned face of Prof. Xavier. Standing just behind him, his concern equally apparent, was Dr. Strange. With a sob, she turned her face away from the men, allowing the tears to flow. She felt the bed shift as Dr. Strange sat on the edge, a hand touching her shoulder gently.

"Kara?"

"I died." She whispered. She turned her head and looked at the men, their faces blurred by the tears in her eyes. "I remember. I died and you brought me back.." She lifted a hand and looked at it. "I remember it all." She clutched Dr. Strange's sleeve. She missed his nervous glance. If she lost control, the last thing he wanted was his arm in her grip. "You found me and brought me back. In this body. The clone's body."

"This is true." Prof. Xavier replied before Strange could say anything.

"Kal must not know. He must still think me dead."

"Superman does not know that you live." Xavier answered. Truthfully.

"I have to get to him, let him know." She started to rise, her eyes widening with surprise when she felt herself being held in place, by....nothing.

"First you must rest. And heal." Xavier told her. "You realize that this body is not the one you were born with, even though it is an exact duplicate. You must give your body and psyche, or spirit if you will, time to merge fully. It is that process that is causing your dizziness."

"Soon," Strange spoke up. "You will be able to do what ever and go where ever you please." He covered the hand that still clutched his sleeve and smiled. "But for now listen to your doctors and take care of your health first. Get settled with yourself first and then we can tackle other things."

Leaving Kara to return to sleep, both men exited the room and conferred.

"She is coming along nicely." Xavier commented. "And rapidly. I believe her restorative powers are finally beginning to kick in." He glanced back at the closed door, rubbing his chin with one hand. "I believe it is time to let her get acquainted with another woman. Some one she can identify with."

"Sue Richards, perhaps?" Strange inquired.

"I think not." Xavier shook his head. "For one thing, it would require a lot of her time. Besides, I believe a single female would be more appropriate."

"You have some one in mind, I presume?"

"As a matter of fact, I do." Xavier nodded. "That is, if you do not mind extending your hospitality to one more person."

"Of course not." Strange waved the suggestion that anyone was imposing upon him away. "I shall inform Wong that we have another guest coming and ask him to prepare a room for her."

"Let her have my room." Xavier said. "I really must be getting back to my school." I shall check in from time to time and keep a mental watch on her." He smiled and turned his chair towards his room. "In fact, I shall be leaving at once and informing my replacement of her new duties." As his chair moved off, Strange could swear he could hear Xavier chuckling to himself. "Gambit's going to be a lonely boy for a while." 

Chapter 5 Home of Dr. Strange 

"I'm going stir crazy!" Kara complained. For the first week after her...resurrection...she had been satisfied with alternating between her rooms (Dr. Strange had moved her into a suite of rooms consisting of a kitchenette, bath, two bedrooms, and even a hot tub) and the gardens. The next week he had run her through test after test. Sometimes Prof. Xavier or Reed Richards or both would join him.

Meeting the Richards had been a delight, more because of Sue than Reed. She had an instant liking for Sue but Reed, with his aloof, intellectual manner had taken some getting used to.

Yet even with all the activity, she felt she would have snapped had it not been for Rogue. Rogue had been a lifesaver. When Dr. Strange had introduced her and mentioned that she would be staying with them for a time, she was aware that the woman had been called in specifically to act as a companion. To help her get over her period of adjusting. Yet despite the reasons, both women had hit it off, becoming friends quickly.

It had been another week since the tests had ended and, for the past couple of days, neither of the girls had even seen Dr. Strange.

"Yeah," Rogue nodded, staring out the window, her chin propped by one hand. For reasons Kara did not know, Rogue always wore gloves. Always. Though she had wondered, Kara had elected not to pry into Rogue's business. A fact for which Rogue was grateful. Prof. X had cautioned her not to reveal anything about herself or to even broach the subject of meta-humans.

"Dammit, I have got to get out of here." Kara jumped up and began pacing, stopping occasionally to look out on the garden. "You know, I tried to find a gate out there yesterday. I couldn't even find a wall. No matter what direction I walked, I eventually wound up right out there, as if I had simply traveled a circle." She stooped and looked down at the seated Rogue. "And you know what else I have not seen in this place? A phone." She plopped down on the couch beside Rogue, shaking her head.

"Listen to me." She whispered. She looked down at her hands and then up at Rogue. "What the hell is wrong with me? I've faced villains that would make your hair curl. I've flown through distant parts of the galaxy, seen sights no one should ever have to see. And here I sit, allowing others to rule my actions."

"Chile, your jus' doing what the doctors tell ya to do." Rogue broke in. "The both say that you are doing extremely well."

"If I'm doing so well, why can't I contact Kal?" Kara spat. "Are they afraid that I am going to go crazy? And why can't I leave here? I need to get out, Rogue. I need to do something, anything!"

Rogue looked at the girl that had quickly become a friend and silently agreed with her. Prof. X had given her instructions on what she could and could not talk about, but nowhere had he said anything about...

"Honey, ah believe ah have the answer." She stood and pulled Kara up with her, a mischievous look in her eyes. "Let's go shopping!"

"How...." Kara was stunned as, after taking just a few moments to get ready, Rogue had led her straight to the front door. She had tried her best to find it and had never come close. Always ending up either in the garden or back in her rooms. Rogue ignored the question, not wanting to hurt the girl's feelings by telling her that Strange had laid an enchantment that had kept her, specifically, from finding the door on her own.

"Come on," she said, pulling the door open. "My jeep is parked right out front."

The Rebirth: Resurrection

Wong was not a happy person. Some how, the girls had gotten out without him noticing. He placed a call to Pier Four, speaking with Sue Richards, and then waited. Dr. Strange would be returning anytime and he would have to inform him of his negligence.

The Rebirth: Resurrection

Rogue realized her mistake the instant she stepped out side and turned to say something to Kara. The stunned look on her face stopped anything she might have said as she cursed her own stupidity. Prof. X had expressly told her not to talk about meta humans of any kind. She didn't know if Dr. Strange qualified, speaking strictly, yet she was sure that Prof. X had been speaking of any extra normal humans. And here she had thrown it up right into Kara's face. There was absolutely no way that she would consider a huge multi-room dwelling, complete with vast gardens under an open sky, all existing within the confines of a small brownstone, as being normal.

"How....what..."

Rogue placed a gloved hand on Kara's arm, waiting until she looked at her.

"Ah can't explain it right now." She hedged. "All ah can say is that Dr. Strange has some, uh, unusual abilities." Kara looked at her, clearly wanting a more in-depth explanation. After a moment, still stunned, she nodded. "Good." Rogue smiled again. "Now let's get going before that busy body Wong comes looking for us. Ah know this great little shop......."

The Rebirth: Resurrection

 "She did what?" Sue Richards smiled as Reed's head and neck stretched out and over the equipment he was working on so that he could see and hear her better.

"I said, Rogue just left with Kara. She left a note for Wong. It appears they went shopping."

"Shopping?" Reed sighed. "Sue I can't leave right at the moment..."

"I'll go look for them." Sue waved at him. "Besides, I need a new bikini. The one I have is..." 

"Sue!"

"Just teasing, Love." Sue laughed at the exasperated expression on her husband's face. "I'll call Prof. Xavier and fill him in. Then I'll take Johnny with me and get started looking."

The Rebirth: Resurrection

 "Pretty good, If ah do say so myself." Rogue looked at the outfit she was trying on in the mirror, turning to see at a different angles. Then she stepped out of the dressing room, to show it to Kara and get her thoughts on it. "Kara, what do...Kara? Kara?"

She looked round frantically then ducked back into the dressing room. She quickly changed back into her own clothes and charged out, stopping the first store person she came to.

"Hey, did you see where my friend went? About my height, long blond hair?"

"Why yes," The store clerk smiled. "She asked for directions to the nearest public phone. So I told here there was one just down the street on the corner." The clerk turned towards the front of the shop as several police cars screamed by, sirens wailing. "My goodness, those sounded like they stopped just up the street."

"Thanks." Rogue sprinted towards the front of the shop. "A phone. Damn." 

Out on the sidewalk, Rogue looked both ways. She spotted the phone, the hand unit hanging by the cord. Beyond that, a crowd of people were gathered behind a hastily thrown up police line. She jogged up behind the crowd, tapping a man on the shoulder. 

"What's going on?" She asked, her eyes searching for a head of blond hair.

"A bank robbery!" The man answered. He stood taller than most of the people of the crowd and so could see over their heads. Rogue allowed herself to float upwards a few inches, trying to get a better view. "Looks like the crooks have a hostage." The tall man went on. "One of them has a gun to the head of a young woman."

"What?" Rogue gave him her full attention, a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Yep. A young woman. Blonde hair. Pretty good looking. She doesn't look scared, but man, does she look pissed." 

Chapter 6 New York 

"I can get the leader with a head shot!" One of the surrounding police officers whispered to the sergeant. The sergeant looked at the rookie as if he were an idiot.

"You see that thing in his hand, son?" He whispered back. "That's a Metalifed Colt Python. Mag‑Na‑Ported. .357 Magnum. In short, a damned gun. Now let me tell you what is going to happen if you make that head shot. His finger is going to twitch by reflex and you are going to have that girl's brains spread over the place." The young officer gulped as the consequences of his proposed actions were pointed out to him.

The sergeant turned his attention back to the bank robbers. Right now, they were at a stand off. So long as they had the girl as hostage, the police were not going to rush in, but neither were they going to let the criminals pass. So now it was a time of waiting. At least until the police negotiator arrived.

"I'll be damned." The sergeant swore as he came to a sudden realization. These were obvious street punks, but the weapon the leader held was not the type the average thug could get his hands on. It was expensive. He tried to check out the weapons of the other four would‑be bank robbers. His eyes narrowed as he spotted several more high quality weapons. "Somebody's bankrolling these guys. They're a front."

The lead punk was ecstatic as he pushed the barrel of the Python into the temple of the blond girl.

"Now you just keep quiet and do what yer told and we'll let ya go, sweetmeat." He told her.

"But not just yet, Jocko." One of the other punks called, leering. "She's a prime piece."

"Hey, sweetmeat." Jocko taunted. "Helio, he want to party with you. You want to party with us?" His laughter was cruel. 

Enough was enough. Kara could barely see through the red haze of anger. All she wanted to do was make a damned phone call. She had no sooner taken the phone off the hook and dialed the operator to make a collect call to the Daily Planet when these punks came along and grabbed her. The operator had not even had time to answer. And if this jerk called her 'sweetmeat' one more time......

"Hey, I'm talking to you." Jocko pressed the Python harder in to her temple. Strange that it was not hurting. "You want to party with us, sweetmeat? Sure you do. We show you a good time and then let you go."

That did it!

"Sweetmeat this, jerk!" She snarled, her right hand moving faster than an eye could follow. She grabbed the point where gun and hand joined and squeezed.....hard. She ignored Jocko's sudden screaming and spun around, jerking her arm back and letting go, sending Jocko smashing face first into the wall of the bank building. Blood splattered and teeth popped and Jock slid to his knees and then keeled over on to his side....out.

"Prof. X is not going to be happy with me." Rogue sighed. She sailed over the heads of the crowd and landed lightly at Kara's side. "Girlfriend, you are going to get me in trouble." She hissed. 

Kara was not listening. Her attention was already on her next target. As he raised what looked to be some type of machine gun, her eyes narrowed.

To the crowd and police officer's watching, it seemed as if two thin, red beams flared from her eyes, striking the weapon at the base of the barrel. The punk's yelp of pain was cut off as the sudden, intense heat caused the round in the chamber to cook off. The weapon exploded as the projectile jammed forcefully in the suddenly melting barrel. His face, hands, and chest a bloody mess, the punk fell to the sidewalk.

Another of the street thugs raised his weapon and then gasped in surprise as he felt himself lifted off the ground.

"Didn't your momma ever teach you it's not nice to point." Rogue quipped as she soared a bit higher. The punk screamed in fear, the front of his jeans suddenly wet. The gun in his hand sailed off in to the air as he began flailing his arms and legs.

Rogue deposited him in the midst of a group of officers and headed back to where Kara was taking care of another.

This punk had time to get off three shots before Kara closed the distance between them. He stared in shock at the ragged holes in the sweater the girl was wearing and the apparently unblemished skin beneath.

"You ain't human!" He had time to screech before Kara grabbed him by the front of the shirt and lifted him. She turned and sent him rolling head over heels to land at the feet of some very startled police officers. She turned to the last punk and smiled. It was not a reassuring smile.

"Well, Helio?" She said. "Are you ready to party now?" 

Big, brave Helio stood where he was, frozen with fear, a growing wet stain growing over the front of his jeans. He made no move as Kara closed the distance between them. She lifted a hand and flicked a finger, catching him on the temple. Helio dropped unconscious. 

"Okay girlfriend." Kara felt a hand on her arm and turned to see Rogue. "Let's get out of here." Keeping hold of Kara, Rogue leapt straight up and out of sight of the flabbergasted on lookers. She then angled around and down, heading back to Dr. Strange's brownstone.

The Rebirth: Resurrection

 "I remember it all. Everything."

Kara stared down at the table, tracing a finger through the ring of wetness left by a glass of water. Around her sat Prof. Xavier, Dr. Strange, Reed and Sue Richards, and a young man Sue had introduced as her brother, Johnny Storm. To her left Rogue stirred somewhat restlessly.

Johnny had met them as they had approached the brownstone. The Human Torch had ordered them to enter through the double windows into Dr. Strange's study rather than through the front entrance. Prof. X and Sue had been waiting on them.

Whatever they had planned on saying had gone unsaid when, as soon had Rogue had released her grip, Kara had fallen, sobbing uncontrollably. Prof. X had calmed her somewhat, but had otherwise left her alone, knowing that she had to work through the memories that were flooding her mind, overloading her emotions.

Hours later she had pulled herself together enough to meet with the recently returned Dr. Strange and Reed Richards.

Kara shook her head.

"The nightmares I had in the beginning were not really accurate. Just jumbled memories. In the end, it had been only Kal and Dr. Light that had faced the Anti‑Monitor. The rest of us, Mon‑El, the Earth‑2 Green Lantern, the E‑2 Superman, Firestorm, Captain, Atom, Wonder Woman, and the others had been held up by the Anti‑Monitor's guardians. Until I heard Kal scream. With my super‑hearing I could hear his heart beat racing, his labored breathing." She paused to draw a ragged breath.

"The Anti‑Monitor was killing him." She shrugged. " I lost it. I cleared a path and broke into the inner chambers before the Anti‑Monitor could deliver a death blow. I fought him and stopped him. I remember telling Dr. Light to get Kal out. To make sure he was safe." She lifted her head. "I destroyed the machinery that the Anti‑Monitor was using to destroy our worlds and was going to finish him off. Then I made a mistake, I looked away to make sure Kal was safe." She shuddered, wrapping her arms around her shoulders. She was thankful for the comforting touch of Rogue's gloved hand. "I remember the Anti‑Monitor fleeing. I had hurt him too much. There was no way he could have stood against the Earth‑2 Superman and Mon‑El, and they were getting closer. I remember Kal cradling me in his arms, crying. I remember dying."

"About that." Reed cleared his throat. " I did a bit of research, going back through my records." He nodded. "Yes, I was aware that something was happening over in that Reality. I believe it is possible, given the description of the machinery you said you destroyed, that you released an energy that somehow trapped your spirit in a state of limbo. Existing yet not existing at the same time. It was that which, in all likelihood, keep your spirit alive, in a manner of speaking, when the recreation, or reboot as Sue calls it, occurred. It could also be the cause of your seemingly non‑existence after that recreation."

Kara looked at him and nodded. It had not been difficult to accept the concept that she was in an entirely different Reality. For one who could, at will, traverse time and space it was no big thing. What had been hard to accept had been the knowledge that, however much she may want to, she could never return to her own Reality. For, in essence, that Reality no longer existed. Had never existed. 

"So now what?" She asked, not looking at any one in particular. She straightened and looked first at Strange and then Reed and then Xavier. "I should thank you for giving me my life back. Perhaps later I will be more thankful. But now what do I do? This Reality seems to have a surplus of heroes."

"And more than it's fare share of super criminals, I dare say." Xavier said.

"Girlfriend, there is always room for one more hero. Especially one with your unique abilities." Rogue told her.

"Indeed." Dr. Strange agreed. "Though you have weaknesses that will plague you here more so than in your Reality, namely magic, your powers are formidable."

"But do not make the mistake that your powers will allow you to return to the other Reality." A new voice broke in. Everyone turned as Access stepped out of the shadows. Behind him could be seen another two figures, their faces hidden. Xavier tensed, looking quickly at Kara and then back at Access. "Yes, Prof. Xavier, I know what I am doing. What must be done." He turned to Kara. "I know it hurts. But you must believe me, there is no way, under your own power that you could cross the boundaries between Realities."

"He's telling the truth, Kara." Kara's face paled at the sound of the voice of one of the figures. The man stepped forward, his red cape flowing behind him.

Superman strode around the table, stopping at Kara's chair. 

"Access has told me about you." His voice was soft, full of compassion. "I am not the Superman you knew, Kara. For that I am sorry. But, from what I have heard, he must have been very proud of you. As I would be." He touched Kara's cheek. "Live well here, Kara." He smiled. "Show them what it is to be a Kryptonian. Give them a Supergirl." He looked at her long and Kara could swear she could see tears welling in his eyes as he turned away. She looked towards the other figure and realized who it must be. She looked at Access, her eyes pleading with him.

"I met the Supergirl of the 20th century and fell in love with her." the other figure stepped forward, his green skin shining in the dim light of the study. He looked at Kara and though there was understanding in those eyes, there was no love. Not the love she had seen in those same eyes countless times during her trips to the 30th Century to be with the Legion of Super Heroes. "You are not that Supergirl. I am sorry." He turned away quickly.

"I am sorry for this Kara." Access told her, "But I had to impress upon you the truth of the situation. There is no place for you in that other Reality. This is your home now."

"Just go. GO!" Kara yelled, tears streaming down her cheeks. She waited until Access had left, taking with him a Superman and a Brainiac 5 that she had never known. Then she turned to the others, not bothering to dry her face.

"I guess I should learn about my new Reality." If she sounded bitter, no one blamed her. "Where do I start?"

"First we need to get you a legal identity." Sue offered. "You'll need a lawyer and I know a lean, mean, and green one that would love to help."

"I believe," Prof. Xavier spoke up, "that I can help with the learning. If you would like, you can join me at my school until you feel confident enough to head out on your own."

"Do it, Girlfriend." Rogue whispered, squeezing her shoulder. "We'll have a blast!"

Kara sat mute for a moment and then stood, moving to look out the double windows. For a long moment she gazed out and then, forcing a smile she turned.

"Okay, but first, I need to find a seamstress." She held her head high. "I need to be dressed appropriately when Supergirl is unleashed!"

End of The Rebirth Part One: Resurrection! Story continues in Part Two: New Beginnings. 


	2. The Rebirth Chapter 2: A New Beginning

The Rebirth Chapter 2 A New Beginning ©Dylan Clearbrook Xavier's School for the Gifted 

"Blast it!"

Dr. Hank McCoy (A.K.A. The Beast) glanced up from the text book he was studying and, looking over the top of his reading glasses, watched as Logan stomped into the meeting room / lounge used by the X teams.

"What seems to be bothering you today, my friend?" He inquired, though he had a notion he knew the answer already.

"That.... that.... that blonde headed...one woman wreaking crew!" Logan (A.K.A. Wolverine) snarled. "She's totally wrecked the Danger Room.... again."

"Oh my." Hank removed the glasses from his blue furred face and cast an amused glance towards Scott Summers (A.K.A. Cyclops) "That's the third time this week, is it not?"

"Fourth!" Logan corrected with a grumble.

"Well, not to worry, my friend." Hand pointedly put his glasses back on and stuck his snout back in his book, saying, "She will no doubt have it back in working order in a matter of minutes. I believe it took her no more than five minutes last time."

"True," Scott interjected. "Man, that lady can _move_."

Logan looked first at hank and then at Scott, his eyes narrowing.

"Well, I think the Prof. Should say something to her. And if he won't, I will. Do you know that she has been teaching Rogue, Jenny Walters, and Jubilee some nonsense called Ko....ko....."

"Koh-Re." Scott helped him out. "From what I understand, it is a Kryptonian equivalent of Kung-Fu." He stood and stretched. "Jean was wishing the other day that she had the time to take the classes."

Logan again looked hard at Scott and then, with a final "Bah" spun on his heel and out the door.

An instant later, Jubilee entered, looking back over her shoulder. She looked in at Scott and Hank, a puzzled look on her face.

"What's got Logan's panties all in a wad?" She asked. Both Scott and hank gave her pained looks.

"Jubilee, that was one visualization I could have lived with out." Hank finally spoke up, his voice dripping with distaste. "Logan and panties. Ugh!"

"Hank, if you please." Scott moaned. Jubilee looked on as they both collapsed in fits of laughter. Shaking her head she left the lounge, wondering if she would ever understand men.

At that moment, the particular one woman wrecking crew was just putting the finishing touches on her repairs of the Danger Room.

"Girlfriend, you never cease to amaze me." Rogue shook her head as Kara zipped around the room, moving at speeds so great that, at times, she appeared to be several places at once. The first time she had seen that it had been a bit disconcerting. Kara would be moving and talking and it would seem that her voice came from a different direction with each word.

"I'm just glad that Prof. Xavier has allowed me to use the Danger Room when I'm not in one of his orientation classes. She grimaced. "I can not begin to tell you how boring those can be." She stopped moving and appeared, standing directly in front of Rogue, a hand held up to forestall her reply. "Yes, I know. Necessary." She paused and looked down at her clothes and sighed. "And another set of clothes bites the dust."

"I take it that is something that you're not used to?" the voice was not Rogue's and both women looked up as Prof. Xavier himself floated in on his air chair.

"Not really." Kara answered, shaking her head. "I ruined an occasional pair when I didn't have time to switch clothes before I had to take action, but even then I usually wore my suit underneath my regular clothes."

"And the suit itself was never ruined?"

"No. It was made from material from Krypton. That made it as invulnerable as me under the yellow sun of Earth."

"What has the sun got to do with it?" Rogue asked, somewhat bewildered. Kara shrugged.

"I believe that it was the differences in radiation wavelengths between various types of stars. Under a Red sun, I would loose many of my powers. On a heavy gravity world, I would be no different than any human. Under a Blue sun, my invulnerability and many of my other powers would be decreased and my vision powers would not work at all." She shrugged again. "An orange sun would cut everything in half. etc. Only under a Yellow sun and then only on a light world, such as Earth, are my powers at their peak."

"Interesting." Prof. Xavier nodded. "You should, perhaps, give this information to Reed Richards. I am sure he would find it an interesting puzzle. For a few moments, at least."

The women laughed at that, both well aware of Richards and his mannerisms. Over the past few months since her resurrection (see Part One - The Resurrection) they had both gotten to know the members of the Fantastic Four and Dr. Strange very well.

Another person they had gotten to know was Jennifer Walters, known to the world at large as the She-Hulk. Sue Richards had contacted Jenny in her capacity as a lawyer and she, once Kara's story had been told to her, had jumped at the chance to represent her. Since then, the three had become almost inseparable companions.

"So, it seems that we must either be sure that you have plenty of suits or find a way to create one that is as invulnerable as you are." Prof. Xavier steered the conversation back to the topic at hand. "Have you given any thought to the suit you wish?"

Again both women laughed.

"Prof. X, you just asked a woman if she had given thought to clothes?" All three turned as Scott Summers entered the room. He was holding hands with one of the most gorgeous red heads Kara had ever seen. She had been introduced to her as Jean Grey when she had gotten here and, though they had exchanged a few words here and there over the past couple of months, Jean was kept extremely busy.

"You better watch it, buster." The red head looked over at her husband, "Or I'll just release the blonde wrecking crew on you." She glanced over at Kara, smiling.

"What?"

"Oh, Logan just being his own charming self." Scott waved it aside..

"I think I intimidate him." Kara said, somewhat apologetically.

"I'll say you do." Scott chuckled. "And that is not something our dear Wolverine deals well with." Kara shook her head looked back over at Prof. Xavier.

"Anyway, I have given it some thought," She answered his question. Though she appeared not to move, there was a slight breeze and suddenly she stood there, decked out in a blue, red, and yellow suit. She wore red boots, the tops trimmed in yellow, and a short red skirt with a wide yellow belt. The long sleeved top, which seemed to cling to every single curve, was blue with the exception of a large yellow and red S symbol that spread out in a triangular shape from just below the center of her breasts to her shoulders, where it seemingly connected to a short red cape that still fluttered from the wind of her super-speed passage through the school to her room and back.

"This is what I was wearing when I d...when I fought the Anti-Monitor." She told them. "Or rather, a duplicate of what I was wearing." She looked over at Rogue and frowned as her friend shook her head.

"Girlfriend, We have to do something with your fashion sense." She was saying.

"Her fashion sense, " Prof. Xavier reminded her, "is about fifteen years behind yours, Rogue. Remember, when she fought the Anti-Monitor, the year was 1985." Rogue looked at him and then looked back at Kara.

"Like I said, we are going to have to do something about your sense of fashion, girlfriend." She repeated herself.

"Well, do so quickly." Prof. Xavier told them. "I mentioned the problem to Dr. Strange and he in turn mentioned it to Reed Richards. I do believe your weekly checkup is scheduled for this evening so Reed might just bring the matter up."

The Rebirth 

"How long are you going to have to go for these checkups?" Rogue asked as the two climbed into the evening air. Rogue knew that Kara relished flying and that it chaffed her to be grounded during the daylight hours. At least for the present.

"Until Dr. Strange and Mr. Richards are convinced that there is absolutely no chance of problems with the union of my spirit to this clone body." Kara answered. "Though they both insinuated last time that it wouldn't be much longer." She looked over as Rogue spread her arms wide, her head thrown back, her hair trailing behind her. As they always did, her eyes settled on the gloved hands.

"Rogue, how closely do your Super teams and heroes work together?"

"Not real close at all." Was the reply after a moment of hesitation. "Though there is more cooperation, it seems between the non-mutant heroes."

"They tend not to be as cooperative with the mutants? Such as yourself?" Kara frowned. 

"Actually, that is more of our doing." Rogue admitted. "There has been so much anti-mutant feeling that we have become somewhat reclusive. Keeping ourselves apart."

"And have you ever approached any of the other teams about your problem?" Kara pressed, eyeing the gloves again.

"Problem? Oh, you mean the absorption. No. There is nothing that can be done about that. It's in the genes." Rogue sighed. "Believe me, girlfriend, I wish that I could do something about it. To be able to touch again...."

Kara let the subject drop.... for now.

The Rebirth

As usual, Dr. Strange had left the windows and shutters open into his study for them. As they flew in, touching lightly to the floor, they saw that, as usual, Strange and Reed Richards were deep in conversation. What was out of the ordinary was the presence of two others. They knew one, her green skin and hair a familiar and welcome sight. She was the first to notice the arrivals and had jumped up to embrace them both.

"It's about time you two got here. I was just about to give up hope and was figuring I was going to have to entertain these fine gentlemen all by myself."

"Jenny, you are full of it." Rogue laughed as she returned the hug. Kara smiled at the She-Hulk and nodded.

"What's going on?" She gestured with her eyes towards the men. They had risen and were standing patiently, waiting.

"Well, I'll let them explain themselves." Jenny said, standing back. "Afterwards I need to have you sign I few papers and make a suggestion." Kara nodded and turned to the men.

"Kara, I would like you to meet some one." Dr. Strange stepped forward. "Kara, this is Tony Stark of Stark Industries. Tony, Kara Zor-El."

"My pleasure." Stark took her hand and smiled. Kara started to smile and then frowned. Her hearing had picked up a slight whirling sound, coming from the vicinity of Stark's chest. Narrowing her eyes, she focused her x-ray vision.

"Sorry for prying, Mr. Stark." She said. "You have heart problems?" 

For a moment Stark appeared speechless, then he smiled and turned to Strange and Richards.

"It appears that you gentlemen were correct. She is a wonder." He turned back to Kara. "As a matter of fact I do. Would you mind telling me how you knew?"

"I picked up a sound coming from your chest with my super-hearing. I then checked it out with my x-ray vision to make sure you weren't carrying a bomb." Kara shrugged. "As I said, I don't mean to pry, but I would rather appear impolite than have to scrape up my friends after a blast."

"Perfectly understandable." Stark agreed. "Simple a mechanism of my own design to keep me alive, I am afraid." Kara did not press it, but could tell, simply from the manner of attachment places on the mechanism that Stark was not telling the whole truth.

"In any case," Strange broke in. "We, Reed and I, approached Mr. Stark on your behalf. I hope you do not mind."

"We let him know your situation and...." Reed broke off as Kara turned her eyes to him.

"Basically, Kara," Stark jumped in. "These two approached me for advice. They did not reveal everything they could have, but they did feel that you might need some financial aid or guidance." Kara looked back at him, frowning.

"My pride rebels against it, Mr. Stark." She said, finally. "However, if there is one thing my cousin impressed upon me it is to think things through. Dr. Strange and Mr. Richards are quite correct. Here and now I seem to be living on the charity of others."

"In that case, if that is a situation you would like to change." Stark drew her over the round table that Strange had sit up. "I might be able to help you out. Not charity. Basically, Stark Industries would like to fund you."

"I don't understand." Kara looked from Stark to Jenny.

"He talked it over with me first." Jenny nodded. "Basically, Stark Industries funds several heroes. What they wish to do, in your case, is give you what you need."

"And what does Stark Industries want in return?" Kara eyed Stark.

"Stark Industries ask only that we be allowed to acknowledge publicly that we are funding you and to use your likeness in some of our ads." Stark replied. "Nothing extravagant. Something along the lines of 'Stark Industries - proud sponsors of Supergirl!' That's all."

Kara thought for a moment and looked over at Rogue. She smiled a bit and turned back to the men.

"Okay." She nodded "On one condition. I would like Dr. Strange and Mr. Richards to do something for me." Rogue looked on, flabbergasted as Kara revealed her condition.

Chapter 2 Pier Four 

Kara winced at the faint sound of screaming. No one else in the room, she was sure, could hear the wrenching screams that caused her stomach to tighten and churn. Sometimes, super-hearing could be a real disadvantage.

She paced the length of the room that Sue Richards had converted to a waiting room while her husband and Dr. Strange worked with Rogue. At a table Sue and Jenny talked in hushed tones. Jenny, Kara had learned, had been, at one time, a member of the Fantastic Four and was still carried on the rosters as an honorary and reserve member. Once Jenny had mentioned that, she had gone on to explain just who the Fantastic Four were.

Reed Richards, in addition to being one of the world's foremost scientists, was the leader of the FF, often called Mr. Fantastic. His unique ability: a super elasticity. The ability to stretch his body into tremendous lengths and widths. Sue Richards' powers were a bit more difficult to categorize. While she was often called Invisible Woman, she had more than just the ability to turn her body transparent. She could form a force field or deliver a physical blow using the strange energy that coursed through her body. A third member of the FF was Sue's brother, Johnny Storm. The Human Torch. Johnny could become a living, man shaped flame. While flaming, he could fly, generate tremendous heat, or shoot blasts of flame varying in strength from a match to an atomic blast. 

With one exception, the radiation that had bathed the four original members of the Fantastic Four had simply endowed them with powers beyond their imaginations, leaving them, if they so chose, with a normal appearance. The exception was Ben Grim.

Grim, or the Thing, as he was called, suffered most from the radiation. He was given strength that, according to Jenny, rivaled that of her cousin, the Hulk. Unlike the others, however, Grim's appearance was hideously changed, his skin replaced with a bright orange rocky substance. Though the new covering made him virtually invulnerable, it also made living a normal life all but impossible for the Thing. Over the years, Reed had successfully, countered the radiation in Grim's system, allowing him to regain his natural form and appearance. The cures, however, would only last for short periods of time. Though the time would vary, he would always revert back into The Thing. 

It was the equipment that Reed used to restrain The Thing when, as had happened, his changes produced temporary, violent, reactions, that he now used to restrain Rogue. 

Both Strange and Reed had tried to explain to her what they were going to do, but it took Sue to put it into terminology that she could understand.

"Reed has developed a modification of your mutant gene that would, over a period of time, replace the original gene. He is going to introduce the modified gene and Stephen is going to use his magic to dramatically speed up the progress." She shuddered. "It is not going to be pleasant. I imagine that once it is started, you will decide against it. That is the catch, however. Once started, the process HAS to be completed. Once that process is complete, both Reed and Stephen will basically rewire you voluntary system. They will not touch anything already there, but they will have to open new pathways and…" she shook her head and smiled. "Beyond that it's tech talk. Put it simply, they are going to allow you to walk out of here able to control the absorbtion rather than let you develop control over a period of time."

Turning her back to the two talking women, Kara sighed and seemingly stared at a blank wall. Rogue had agreed to the procedure and, as Kara's hearing could testify, Sue had been correct. It wasn't a pleasant experience Rogue was having.

For reasons she could not put her finger on, she felt that a bond had been forged between her and Rogue and hearing her go through this was grating on her nerves. Perhaps Rogue had filled a void left in her life that had once been filled by Kal. She smiled as she recalled the past few weeks.

For hours on end her and Rogue would talk and gossip and were, for all practical purposes, inseparable. That would end soon. Soon she would be out on her own and Rogue would return to being a full active member of the X-men. Kara chuckled to herself at a memory that popped up. One member of the X-men that Rogue had introduced as Gambit had made a snide comment about Kara being Rogue's new lover. Rogue had played it up until Gambit, his face red with anger, embarrassment, or both, had stalked off. Only then had Rogue confided that Gambit was an ex-lover. Or rather, he had been the closest thing she could have as a lover with her inability to touch. As for the accusation, Kara had discovered that there was no revulsion to the idea but neither was there any inclination to test the waters, so to speak. She was no where near ready for such emotional entanglements, whether they be with a man or a woman..

"Dammit, how long is this going to take?" She startled herself with her out burst and turned to see a stunned Sue and Jenny looking at her. She waved them back as they started to rise. "Never mind me." She told them. "I think I just need a breath of fresh air." She started out the door. "I'll be back in a bit." Before either woman could protest, she was gone.

Now this is what she needed. 

Kara stood on the end of the pier and took in some deep breaths, letting the sounds of the waves and the sea smells envelop her. Around her others took in the sites. Couples, families, and singles all walking along, taking in the view and, occasionally, gawking up at the tremendous Fantastic Four headquarters. Nearby, a little boy, dressed in a blue jumpsuit with a stylized Fantastic Four symbol on the breast pocket, pointed up a blazing trail that had materialized above the headquarters, heading east.

"I wanna be just like Johnny Storm when I grow up." The boy exclaimed, looking up at his mother with excitement dancing in his eyes.

Looking around, Kara noticed other things. A teenage girl with her hair dyed green and a T-shirt with a picture of Jenny on the front, a young man with a baseball cap sporting the Fantastic Four logo.

"Pretty disgusting, ain't it?"

Kara turned to see a young blond man, with somewhat of a yuppie appearance. On the breast pocket of his sports shirt were the bold letters: FOH.

"Disgusting?" She prompted.

"These people." The man indicated. "All a gaga over those freaks." He jerked his thumb back towards the FF HQ. Kara finally put the letters on his shirt with something Prof. Xavier had told her. 

"You're with Friends of Humanity." She stated. The young man nodded. "I thought the Friends were anti mutant. The Fantastic Four aren't mutants."

"Actually, the FOH direct much of their activities towards spreading the truth about the mutant infestation, but we also concern ourselves with the possible contamination of the human race from other sources." The young man was warming to his subject. "Through no fault of their own, the Fantastic Four have been altered, their very genetic structure changed. What would happen if they were to mate with pure humans? Would their offspring inherit the changed genes?" Kara looked at the young man, her hands on her hips.

"Aren't you out of uniform?" She finally drawled. "Shouldn't you be wearing white sheets or a Gestapo arm band and clicking your heals together?"

"What are you? A mutie lover or something?" The man snarled, his face twisted in sudden hatred.

"Or something." Kara replied, turning her back to the man.

"Oh you must be sleeping with one of them. Are they good?" The man sneered, not knowing when to let things drop. Kara turned back to him, smiling.

"I think you need to cool off, a little swim will do you wonders." She took a deep breath and let loose with a focused blast of super breath. To any looking, it would appear as if the man suddenly sailed, under his own power, up and over the rail on the edge of the pier and into the waves below.

"HELP!" The man screamed as he hit the water, thrashing. "I can't swim!" Kara sighed and launched herself over the rail. She grabbed the FOH man's shirt as he was going under and hauled him up. Holding him in mid air, before dozens of watchers, as he hacked and coughed.

"You're a damned mutie!" He accused, spitting up more swallowed seawater as she deposited him back on the pier.

"Actually, I'm not." Kara answered, matter-of-factly. "I'm just from a different planet." She spun him around and poked him in the chest. "Now carry your butt on before I regret hauling you out." 

The man scurried away, waiting until he was some distance before raising a fist towards her.

"I'll remember you. We'll get you and your mutie friends." He shouted. Kara ignored him and turned, facing a wall of stunned spectators.

"Miss?" a young blonde girl stepped forward. "Who are you?"

"Me?" Kara smiled. Of course these people wouldn't know her. She took the girls hand and shook it. "The name is Supergirl." She took a step back and, bunching her muscles, grabbed sky, soaring up and over to the landing pad on top of the FF HQ.

The Rebirth

"Well, it's done." A very weary looking Reed Richards leaned in the doorway, smiling faintly first at Sue and then at Kara. "Everything went as expected. Now she needs to rest." He passed a hand across his eyes. "That young girl is strong." He glanced over at Sue. "I never realized that Carol was that strong."

"Carol?" Kara glanced from Sue to Reed.

"Carol Danvers. The former Miss Marvel." Sue explained. "Rogue absorbed her powers, yet, because they were in contact for so long, the transference was permanent." She smiled a bit sadly. "Rogue was not always one of the good guys."

"So what happens now?" Jenny asked, bringing the conversation back to the present. 

"Now she rests for a bit." Dr. Strange spoke up as he entered behind Reed. "She will probably sleep for the rest of the day. After that, I suggest she start retraining." He looked over at Kara and answered the question in her eyes. "Though she has gotten used to using her strength, invulnerability and ability to fly, she still used her absorbtion ability from time to time. Now, instead of just removing a glove and touching her bare skin to the skin of another, she will have to consciously activate the absorbtion ability."

The Rebirth

"I never want to go through anything like that again!" Rogue declared. She and Kara were soaring up and away from Pier Four, heading back to Xavier's school. Strange's prediction that Rogue would sleep the rest of the day had proved accurate. Yet when she had woken, Kara had been there at her side, holding her hand. HER HAND! With NO glove! 

"I felt like my insides were on fire!" She exclaimed as they flew through the sky. "I thought it had gotten as bad as it was going to get, and then the fire reached my head." She shivered, unable to continue with a description.

"Was it worth it?" Kara asked, somewhat timidly.

"Oh yes. YES." Rogue insisted. "To be able to touch again!" Kara started to comment then shifted her attention to something below.

"What's going on down there?" Without waiting for a reply, she dove. Using her telescopic vision, she focused in on a confrontation between what appeared to be several police officers and a single, huge figure in a strange costume.

"Out of my way, puny ones!" The figure bellowed, charging forward. Bullets seemly bounced off the figure as he waded in, police cars scattering away like matchbox cars from the swiping hand of a child. Police officers dove away from the carnage, abandoning their efforts.

Kara took in the situation and touched down in the figures path, hands on her hips.

"Okay, Yo-yo." She called. "If you can't play nice, then you can't play at all."

The figure stopped, eyes behind a domed helmet widening. She was not, however, expecting the booming laughter that issued from within the helmet.

"You think to stop the Juggernaut, girl?" The voice bellowed, clearly amused.

Rogue paled as she closed in. Kara's departure had caught her unprepared and it was obvious Kara could move faster.

"Kara!" She screamed as the Juggernaut began to move forward. Kara was strong, but she had a weakness. And the Juggernaut's helmet was "MAGIC!" 

Kara looked up at Rogue's shouted warning. By the time it had sunk in and she had turned her attention back, the Juggernaut was on her.

"Uh-oh." She felt the impact and felt herself lifted and thrown.

"Damn!" Rogue redoubled her efforts. Coming in fast, she hammered with both fists down on the top of the Juggernaut's helmet. Though it wouldn't stop him, it would stun him for a second or two. Long enough for her to activate her absorption ability. As the ability was activated, she felt a massive hand grasp her by the ankle "NO!" She yelled as she felt her self spun and tossed aside. She instinctively put up her hands as she flew out of control, straight towards Kara!

Kara gained her feet and shook her head.

"Now that was stupid." She muttered. She looked up to see Rogue flying at her, out of control. "Damn." Without thinking, she reached out and grabbed her by the hands, intending to pull them both up and away from the Juggernaut. Her scream joined with Rogue's horrified scream and then blackness enveloped them both.

Chapter 3 Fantastic Four HQ The Infirmary 

Consciousness returned and with it came pain. Pain! Pain was good. Pain meant she was still alive.

Kara opened her eyes…slowly, squinting against the harsh overhead lights.

"Reed, she's waking up." Sue's face swam into view, leaning over her, though creased with worry; she was trying hard to smile reassuringly. "Keep this up, honey, and we're going to have to start charging you hospital fees."

"What…" Kara stopped cleared her throat and started over. "What happened?"

"From what we can piece together," Reed's voice came from somewhere out of her line of sight. Sue pressed her back down when she started to rise. "Rogue had activated her absorption and you grabbed her hands." His face appeared on her other side as he bent over her. "Johnny was on his way back to the HQ when he caught your final act."

"The Juggernaut?"

"Gone. When you grabbed Rogue and headed up, you got away from him and fell some distance away. " His face disappeared. "Now hush and try to get some rest while I run some test." Kara let her eyes slide shut and then forced them open again.

"Rogue?"

"Right next to you." Was Sue's soft reply. "She's still out. Now don't worry. You just rest." This last was said even as Kara slipped once again into unconsciousness.

"She back out." Sue announced, straightening. 

"Good." Reed took the needle he had been holding and deftly inserted it into a vein, drawing blood. "Had I done this while she was awake she would have known something was wrong." He placed a drop of blood on a slide and bent to his microscope. For a long moment he studied the sample and then, straightening, he did some quick mental calculations.

"Well, there's some good news." He turned to Sue. "Within two hours she should be restored. Her genetic make-up, under the influence of this sun is already working to restore her. In fact…." He stood and took another needle out and jabbed it at Kara's arm. The tip of the needle entered and then stopped. The needle bent as Reed applied more pressure. "Her invulnerability is almost completely restored as it is."

"And the bad news?" Sue asked, turning from Kara to the stretcher that held the writhing form of Rogue. Reed stood over Rogue and shook his head. 

"All I have is a guess, at this point." He said. "I have no idea how long they were connected. But I would have to say that Rogue absorbed Kara's Kryptonian powers, her memories, everything. Including her restorative powers."

"Then why isn't she improving like Kara?"

"Because Rogue isn't a Kryptonian." Reed answered, his face bleak.

"Which means what?"

"That the restorative powers see that as a problem, and are working to correct it."

"Oh my god." Sue put her hand to her mouth. "But won't the powers fade after a bit?" She tossed out as an after thought. Reed shook his head.

"Ordinarily, they would. But again the Kryptonian restorative powers are interfering. As the powers fade, the Restorative replenishes them." He sighed and stepped back to the microscope. "The way I see it, there are three alternatives. "One, we find a way to nullify the Kryptonian powers with out endangering Rogue. Two, The Restorative completes its task and we end up with not one but two Supergirls. There is a third possibility…." He paused.

"Yes?" Sue prompted.

"Rogue dies." Reed summed it up bluntly.

The Rebirth

"You knew she was going to do this?" Logan confronted Prof. Xavier outside the Fantastic Four headquarters.

"Yes." The professor responded calmly. "She contacted me and informed me of her decision. I then talked with Reed Richards and Dr. Strange to get the details." He raised an eyebrow towards Wolverine. "She is a grown woman, Logan. She has the right to choose. And she chose this as a possible way to lead a near normal life. Do you begrudge her that opportunity?"

"Hell no." Logan grumbled. He then paced back and forth. "Damn foolish girl. " He muttered. "Kara wouldn't know any better, but Rogue should have known that she couldn't take out the Juggernaut. Not alone."

"So what has you upset is not Rogue's decision to have her absorption powers place under her direct, voluntary control, but her confrontation later with the Juggernaut. "

"If she hadn't been off with this Kara she wouldn't have gotten hurt." Gambit put in his two cents worth. Xavier fixed him with a cold stare.

"I think, Gambit that you best be prepared. " He said. "I am almost positive that, should she live through this, Rogue will be leaving the X-men."

"What?" Logan snarled, turning back to the professor. "She can't. You will have to stop her!"

"No." Xavier shook his head. "In fact, I will probably encourage her. It is time for her to grow and I believe that, for a time, anyway, she would do that best on her own.'

"Or with Kara." Gambit spat.

"Or with Kara." Xavier agreed, nodding.

"Bah. Gambit be going back to the School." He spun on his heel and stalked away. Xavier looked at Logan who was staring at Gambit's retreating back, thoughtfully.

"Perhaps you are right, Prof." he said, finally. He turned his eyes back to the FF HQ. "Perhaps you're right."

The Rebirth

"How are they doing?"

Xavier and Logan had joined Jennifer Walters, Jean Grey, and Scott Summers in the waiting room. Sue and Reed were still with Kara and Rogue.

"Kara is going to be okay." Jenny answered Xavier's question. She looked around the room. "I am really beginning to hate this room."

"What about Rogue?" Logan growled in Jean's direction.

"She's still out." Jean replied as she put a hand to her forehead. "She is dreaming, in a fashion. " She shook her head. "It's all jumbled, though. A mixture of her own memories and Kara's." She looked up at Xavier. "Though there is absolutely no trace of Carol Danvers."

"I was afraid of that." Xavier sighed. "I received a call before coming here. It seems that Carol's problems with her fluctuating powers are over. It seems she has regained the powers she had as Miss Marvel." 

"Damn." Scott swore. He shook his head. "Not that I wish Carol ill, but that means that Rogue has lost those abilities."

"I am afraid so."

"And I am afraid it is much worse than that." All eyes turned to the door as Reed and Sue entered. Both looked extremely worried. Reed explained to them what he had explained to Sue.

"I was able to develop a method of nullifying the Kryptonian powers." He concluded. "Yet I dare not use them."

"Why not?" Logan growled, stepping forward.

"Because it is too late." Sue answered for her husband.

"It was too late from the beginning." Reed exclaimed, slamming a fist on the doorframe. "I developed a way to simulate the effects of a red sun on a Kryptonian. I tested it on Kara successfully. Yet when I tested it on Rogue, her vital signs began failing. She would have died had I continued. So I took a blood sample while she was under the influence since Kryptonians are not invulnerable under a red sun and then returned her to a normal setting. Her statistics instantly returned to the level they were before the test." He stretched his hands out and snagged a couple of chairs, holding one for Sue while he positioned the other for himself.

"I studied the blood sample I had taken and was forced to conclude that we have no choice but to let things run their course. There's nothing we can do but hope, and pray, for the best, at this point."

"What did the blood sample show you?" Jenny questioned, her voice subdued.

"It showed me that Rogue is no longer fully a terrestrial human." Reed sighed. "The Restorative powers she absorbed from Kara are changing her, correcting what it sees as damage. She is being changed into a Kryptonian." Reed stood and turned away from everyone. "Damn Access for getting us involved in this."

"Reed!" Sue exclaimed. 

"Reed Richards, do not blame Access nor yourself for this." Xavier cut in. "Access did what he thought best to right what he considered a wrong. You did what you thought was right. Were it not for you, that young woman in there would not be alive."

"And Rogue would not be close to death." Reed snapped back.

"And if you could see the result of all your actions for good, knowing that someday, some one might be inadvertently harmed, would you stop doing good?"

"No." Reed shook his head. "No, I wouldn't." He smiled and shook his head, looking at Xavier. "Thank you professor. " He started to say something else when Jean held up a hand. 

"Rogue is waking up." She exclaimed. "She is a bit disoriented but…" She looked around at the others. "There is no hint of Kara's memories."

The Rebirth

"Unnngh!" Rogue groaned, putting a hand to her head. Her head was splitting, yet, like Kara, she took the pain as a good sign. At least she was alive.

"Rogue." It was Sue's voice, soft and full of emotion. "How are you feeling?"

"Like Jubilee has been playing in my skull." She rasped. Some one chuckled, nervously it seemed, and she started to open her eyes.

"No, Honey. Leave your eyes closed for a bit. Just lay there and relax." The voice was not Sue's.

"Jean?"

"I'm here, Rogue. So is the Professor, Scott, and Logan."

"I'm here, too." Rogue recognized Jenny's voice. She felt a soft, reassuring touch on her shoulder.

"Rogue," That was Reed Richards. "The headache is no surprise and should be fading soon. Other than that, how do you feel?" Rogue relaxed and gave that some thought.

"I feel fine." She finally concluded. "A bit strange, though. As if I were floating." She felt a light tap on her arm and then nothing. "What is it?" She demanded.

"Just hold on a moment." Reed instructed, holding up the bent needle that he had just used to try to draw blood. "I am going to try something then I want you to tell me if that floating feeling goes away."

Rogue lay still and waited. Faintly she heard a humming and, though her eyes were closed, she could see the light that filtered through change color. Instantly the floating feeling left.

"It's gone. " She said.

"And all vital signs are normal." Reed declared. He took another needle and drew some blood.

"Ouch! Hey!" Rogue complained. "Warn me when…." Her voice trailed off. "You just drew blood." She exclaimed. Her eyes flew open and she looked around at the people ringing her stretcher. "What's going on?" She demanded. The entire room was bathed in a reddish light. 

"Reed has artificially recreated the effects of a red sun on Kryptonians." Everyone turned to see Kara sitting up on her stretcher, rubbing her eyes. She shakily got to her feet, leaning on a reluctant Logan.

"Kara?" Instantly memory returned. "Oh my god, Kara. You grabbed my hands!"

"Exactly." Reed confirmed. He flipped a switch and the reddish light faded. Rogue felt the lightness return and felt the last of the headache fade. She watched in stunned silence as, using no gloves, he picked up her arm. Skin to skin. There was no absorption. In one hand he held a needle. "Remind me to get a new supply of these," he said in an aside to Sue. The, to Rogue, "Watch." He jabbed the needle down. Rogue stared as the needle turned and bent as it impacted with her skin.

"But you just drew blood!" She exclaimed. "I don't understand."

"But I do." Kara announced. She looked over at Reed for confirmation as she explained. "He drew blood while you were under the influence of a red sun." She waited until Reed nodded and then looked to Rogue. "Kryptonians loose their powers under a red sun."

"But I'm not Kryptonian." Rogue shook her head, clearly confused. Reed inserted a sample of the blood he had just drawn into the microscope and compared it to samples he had drawn earlier and to samples he had taken from Kara.

"Correction." He said, straightening. "You WEREN'T Kryptonian. That is no longer true." He turned back to the group and continued. "The process is complete. Had we gotten her under the red sun influence instantly, we might have been able to catch it in time. However, as it stands, the Restorative has changed her." He paused for a moment, aware that he was dealing with people that would not understand the length scientific explanations. "Simply put, she is still Rogue, but she has physically been altered. She no longer has the mutant gene she was born with. I suppose the Restorative saw that as a defect and corrected it as it altered her very genetic makeup. " He indicated the microscope. "According to that, the only difference between Rogue and Kara are those differences that are normal between two members of the same race, genetically speaking." He looked over at a thoughtful Kara. She was floating a few inches above the floor, as if testing for herself that she still retained her powers.

She allowed herself to settle and stepped closer to Rogue, putting a hand on her arm and smiling.

"It's not that bad." She said, smiling. "Look at it this way. New clothes."

Rogue looked at her as though she had suddenly gone mad and then, despite herself, began giggling.

Chapter 4 Fantastic Four HQ 

"Reed?"

Sue Richards stepped through the doorway onto the balcony. Standing at the rail, looking out over the moonlit waters of the bay, her husband gave no indication that he heard. She moved closer to him, slipping an arm around his waist.

"I looked for you in the lab." She spoke quietly, sensing his thoughtful mood.

"I needed to get some air and collect my thoughts." He replied. He looked down at her upturned face and smiled. He bent his head and gently kissed her lips.

"You don't fool me, Reed Richards." Sue sighed, pushing him away, though not too far. "You're worrying about our problem children again."

"You're right." Reed chuckled. He looked back over the waves. "Do you realize the power that we have unleashed? " He turned and looked at Sue. "It was awesome to begin with when it was just Kara. Now we have two." He shook his head. "I don't believe Rogue comprehends, even now, what has happened to her."

"It's been over two months." Sue reminded him. "Kara promised that she would help Rogue get used to her new abilities. They've been working out constantly, testing and training."

"Not for the past week." Reed corrected. "I talked with Xavier and, according to him, Kara and Rogue have been taking off daily, going somewhere and coming back late."

"Perhaps this has something to do with it?" Sue held up a card. "An invitation to attend a Stark Industries Press Conference and dinner afterwards."

"An invitation?" Reed's neck stretched as his head swung up and around to look over Sue's shoulder at the card. "Does Tony think that Kara is ready?"

"I imagine Tony had nothing to do with it." Sue replied in dry tones. "From what I know of Kara, she is strong willed if nothing else. I imagine that she thinks she's ready."

"Hmmm." Reed recognized the warning in Sue's tones. Sometimes he tended to get a bit chauvinistic and she would instantly set him straight on the matter. "Probably so." He muttered. He returned to looking back out at the view, his arm tightening around Sue, her head resting on his shoulder.

The Rebirth

"Okay. Now, using a wide focus, play your heat vision over the entire wall. I will follow up with a blast of cold breath."

"Got it." Rogue squinted her eyes slightly and let her heat vision go. The ice wall steamed and began to melt until the super cold blast of Kara's breath froze it in place, forming a solid wall of ice that would, even at room temperature, remain frozen.

"That's got it!" Kara declared. She spun around and took in their handiwork. For the past week, she and Rogue had been carving out a network of caverns in the glacier. They could, had they wished, completed the work in a matter of hours. Yet they had elected to take their time and use the opportunity to train Rogue in the use of the multitude of new powers now at her disposal. They had trained in the danger room to use the powers in combat, but this gave her the opportunity to use them in non-combat scenarios.

At one point, Kara had simulated a lava flow by melting tons of ice, requiring Rogue to find methods of stopping the flow.

In the danger room, they had both honed their techniques, finding more and more that they worked better as a team than either alone.

"Have you ever thought of joining the X-men?" Jubilee had asked Kara one day.

"I have thought of it." Kara nodded. "But, for now, I don't think I belong with the X-men or any of the X Teams." She had not noticed Rogue's thoughtful and, somewhat, troubled look.

Now, as she looked around at the nearly completed fortress, she knew that she had been right. Yet now she wondered what to do. She had not been present when Kal had built his Fortress of Solitude and, though she was highly intelligent, she was nowhere near the genius he had been.

"Now what?" Rogue asked, unknowingly echoing Kara's thoughts. Kara shrugged and explained her problem.

"I know what I would like to have in here. I just don't know how to go about it." She concluded.

"Stark Industries." Rogue blurted after a moment's thought.

"What?"

"Go talk to Tony Stark." Rogue insisted. "Tell him what you want and then use part of the money he furnished you to get it."

"Hmmmm. You're right." She started walking towards the exit and stopped when she noticed that Rogue was not following. "You going with me?"

"Nah." Rogue shook her head, smiling. "It's your fortress. You go talk to him. I'll just head on back to the School."

"Rogue!" Kara crossed over to her and took her hands. "It's as much your place as it is mine." She insisted. "You helped carve it out. Now you have to help me furnish it the way we want it."

"We?" Rogue tilted her head. "I'm an X-man, Kara."

"OH." Kara stepped back, obviously crestfallen. "I know." She said, finally. "I guess I just assumed that you would…." She straightened and smiled. Rogue could see that it was a forced smile. "Nevermind. Of course you want to stay with the X-men."

Rogue grew thoughtful as she looked at her friend.

"Actually, I am not sure what I want, at this point." She admitted. She turned and looked around at the work they had done. "You've told me your story, Kara. You've had these powers all your life." She turned back and spread her hands. "But this…this is more than I have ever had." She shook her head. "Ever since I absorbed Carol Danvers' abilities, I have been strong. But now……Kara, you took me out the other day and we juggled asteroids!" She was gesturing wildly and pacing now. "You showed me that I can survive in the depths of space without a suit. I can fly and run just as fast, if not faster than Silverstreak. And…..and….." Rogue stopped, exasperated. "The list goes on. I guess what I am trying to say is that I am still getting used to not being a mutant with a bit of strength but a…a…"

"Kryptonian." Kara finished for her. She stepped up and took Rogue's face in her hands. "Rogue, since I have been here, you have been the one thing I could latch on to keep my sanity. You became a friend when I needed one. And now…" 

For a brief moment Kara hesitated, as if unsure of what to say. Then, on sheer impulse, she leaned forward and let her lips brush lightly against Rogue's. Rogues eyes widened slightly and then closed as she leaned into the kiss, her mouth parting slightly and her arms moving up to encircle Kara's waist. After a moment, Kara pushed back, breathing heavily, her eyelids heavy.

"I…I'm sorry." Her voice was husky. "I don't know…" She straightened up and smiled weakly. "No, I do know. I've felt the attraction for some time." She turned away. "But I'm not ready for anything like that. I need to make sure I am okay with myself first."

Rogue stepped close and put a hand on Kara's shoulder. Her own breathing, she had noticed had calmed, but for a moment, it had been laboring as much as Kara's.

"Hey girlfriend." She said. "It's okay. We'll take it one step at a time. We both need to." She blushed and looked down at the floor. "I've never even considered another woman in that way before." She admitted.

"Neither have I." Kara laughed. "Though there is no taboo against it among Kryptonians. So far as I have seen, that is purely a terrestrial custom." She turned and took Rogue's hand in hers. "But for now, until we have both gotten our selves straightened out, it would be best if we thought of each other as sisters.

"Sisters…" Rogue's eyes welled with tears.

"Sisters." Kara confirmed. "In fact, I was going to talk to Jenny and see if there is a way that we can officially and legally give you the surname Zor-El."

"Rogue…..Zor-El?"

"Well, actually Zorel, since that is the way I have my name listed." Kara laughed.

"You want to…adopt me?" Rogue laughed.

"In a manner of speaking." Her tone grew harder. "Only if you want and with the understanding that the choice of what you do is still yours." She hugged Rogue to her. "No matter what you do or where you go we will be sisters."

Rogue pushed her away, doubling over with laughter.

"What's so funny?" Kara demanded. For a long moment, Rogue could only laugh. She straightened and, trying hard to control the laughter , turned Kara around and pushed her towards the opening of the caverns they had carved out.

"Let's go talk to Tony Stark." She said, between gulps of air. At the entrance she put a hand on Kara's arm. "But first, let's go see Jenny. If you want to."

At the entrance of the fortress, Rogue stopped.

"I just thought of something." She said, her voice filled with amusement. "If we become sisters now and then decide, later, to allow other things to develop, will it be considered incest?"

Speechless, Kara stooped and gathered a handful of snow and tossed it at the laughing Rouge.

The Rebirth

"I am afraid that Mr. Stark is rather busy at the moment." the secretary was saying. She looked the two women over, wondering how they had gotten past all the security and other flunkies. 

"Oh really?" Rogue turned and, squinting just slightly, activated her x-ray vision. "Actually, he is sitting at his desk and looks a bit bored." Kara made a mental note to herself to talk to Rogue about the invasion of privacy. The vision abilities were still new enough to her that she used them at every opportunity she could, but still…

As Rogue started to move past her, towards the doors to Tony Stark's office, the secretary's jaw dropped.

"Wait a minute, you can't just…I'll call security!" She hustled around, trying to put herself between Rogue and the door.

"Rogue. Hold up." Kara faced the secretary and gave her a stern look. "Listen girlie. You have about two seconds to get on that intercom and tell Tony that Kara…and Rogue… Zorel are here to see him or you can explain to him later why Supergirl decided to disassociate herself from Stark Industries." She turned to Rogue. "Come on, we're outta here." She started towards the outer door, taking her time. She had seen the girl's face grow pale, confirming her guess that she knew about the upcoming publicity event.

"MR. STARK!" Frantic, she almost yelled into the intercom! "It's that Supergirl, Sir. Yessir! Ma'am! Miss! Please. He'll see you. Go right in!"

"Thank you." Kara said in her sweetest voice as she turned and headed for the door to Tony Stark's office. She smiled at the secretary, noting the perspiration that had sprung out on her forehead and her shaky hands. She patted the girl on the shoulder. "Next time, make sure you know who your visitors are before going into the protective secretary routine." She advised. "Oh, and by the way. It's not 'that' Supergirl or 'the' Supergirl. It's just plain Supergirl."

"Yes ma'am." The secretary sat back in her chair before she fell.

"Kara!" Tony was coming around from behind his desk, smiling, as Kara and Rogue entered, letting the door close behind them.

"Mr. Stark." Kara responded as Rogue nodded. "I am afraid there has been a slight change of plans."

"Oh?" Tony frowned and waved the girls to a couple of chairs as he perched on the corner of the desk. "What kind of changes?"

"First, I have some things that I would like Stark Industries to build for me." She handed him a folder filled with drawings and descriptions that she had thrown together while she and Rogue were at Jenny's office. "Basically, I want Stark Industries to furnish my new digs." Rogue winced at the term.

"Girl, this is the nineties, not the mid-eighties." She said. "Digs. Ugh."

"Whatever." Kara shrugged and smiled. "In any case, Rogue and I have dug" she glanced over at Rouge, "the place out and gotten it ready. Now it needs a power source and the equipment detailed in that folder. I believe that most, if not all of it can be done using the funds you have earmarked for my use." Tony shrugged that off.

"If not, I'll just increase the fund." He glanced through the folder, nodding and whistling at some places. "Pretty impressive. Complete crime lab. Super computer, communications." He grew silent as he finished looking it over and then sat it on his desk. "I don't see a problem. Though, from the descriptions you give of your fortress here some changes will have to be made." He thought for a moment. "Excuse me for a moment." He picked up the folder and stepped out the door, presumably to talk to the secretary. When he returned he was smiling.

"Kara, please refrain from scaring my secretary." He chuckled as he resumed his perch on the corner of the desk. "She's a temp. I finally convinced Mrs. Arbogast to take a well-deserved vacation. In any case, workers and equipment will be on their way to the location noted for deliver within the hour." He informed them. "I had everything faxed to one of my most trusted people and she assures me that we can do everything requested, and then some." He crossed his arms and looked at the ladies. "You mentioned changes. What kind of changes? I assume, of course that you were not referring to this Fortress of yours."

"Your assume correctly, Mr. Stark."

"Tony, please."

"Okay, Tony. You assume correctly." Kara took a deep breath. "I have talked things over with both Rogue here and with Jennifer Walters and have come to the conclusion that, while I may be Supergirl, I am also still a stranger here. A couple of months of training and lessons with Prof. Xavier, no matter how beneficial, will still not tell me all I need to know about this Reality. Therefore, for that reason, and for reasons strictly personal, we have decided that the wisest thing, for the time being, would be for me to be part of a team."

"You are joining the X-Men?" Tony inquired, looking first at Rogue then back to her.

"Actually, she's not." Rogue said. "She has decided to pair up with her new partner." Rogue's face was serious.

"But…" Tony was thoroughly confused now. "She doesn't have a partner!"

"I do now." Kara laughed, putting her hand on Rogue's shoulder. Together, the two of them told Tony the entire story.

"So you are just alike now?" Tony was astonished at the tale. "Same powers, everything?"

"Everything." Rogue confirmed. She hugged herself. Shivering. "You would not believe the difference." She exclaimed. She looked over at Kara. "I was strong. I could fly. I was damage resistant. But now…." She shook her head. "It's like I've graduated into a whole new class of power." She leaned forward with her arms still around herself and now resting on her knees. She looked up. "I can do things now that I never dreamed possible. I can, and have over the past month, travel through time. " She jumped up and walked to a window. "I've dove into the heart of the sun and felt hardly a tickle of warmth. I moved a moon of Jupiter out of it's orbit and then back."

"God!" Tony breathed, looking now at Kara. "I had no idea you were so powerful!" Kara shrugged. 

"One thing I learned in my own…my OLD reality…was that, no matter how powerful a person, there will always be some one even more powerful." She gestured to Rogue. "What she does not know but will learn, is that it seems that people of our power always seem to attract the attention of powerful enemies. For instance, one of Kal's greatest enemies was a human with no powers of his own. Lex Luthor was, physically, no different than the average person. But his intelligence made him, at times, more than a match for Kal. I also remember Kal telling me that he once had to fight The Batman. He never wanted to go through that humiliation again." She smiled. "The Batman had no super powers, yet he was able to use Kal's own powers against him"

"I have heard of this Batman." Tony said. Rogue wasn't listening. Her attention was out the window and down.

"Mr. Stark? Does this window open?" She asked. Kara looked at her sharply, noticed where she was looking, and activated her x-ray vision, standing. At that instant, alarms began sounding.

"Mr. Stark!" The secretary's frantic voice came over the com unit. "The building is under attack!"

"Security!" Tony punched a button on the com unit. "Code Red. Initiate Lock Down One. After everyone is evacuated, go to Lock Down Two!"

"Affirmative, Mr. Stark." Was the calm reply. Instantly a steel panel slid out to cover the office entrance.

"Forget it." Rogue muttered. "I'll pay for the damned window." She gave the window a shove and then followed the shards of glass that exploded outwards. Kara leapt through the opening behind her. Tony, seeing the ladies gone, pressed a button beneath his desk and then exited the office through a hidden panel behind his desk.

"What've we got, Rogue?" Kara asked as she zoomed downward beside the one time X-Man. They were taking their time descending from the fortieth story office. Rushing into a situation, even for a Supergirl, without sizing it up first, was not smart.

"One bogey." Was Rogue's curt reply. "And I recognize her." She pulled up short, hovering. "Kara, it's Carol Danvers."

For a long moment comprehension eluded the Maid of Might.

"OH!" She exclaimed as understanding sank in. "The one whose powers you absorbed?"

"That's the one." Rogue shook her head. "The woman has been through so much. And much was due to me. Prof. X told me that while I was unconscious, her original powers returned to her." She grabbed Kara's arm. "She's been slightly unstable ever since I stole her powers. And, from what I understand, she has developed a problem with alcohol."

Whatever reply Kara might have given was cut-off by a scream of rage below them. Carol had seen them and was streaking up at them.

"I would guess that she is here for me." Rogue said as, moving together, she and Kara moved higher and out away from the Stark Building.

"YOU!" Carol's face was twisted with hatred as she dove straight at Rogue, confirming Rogue's guess. Both she and Kara moved aside, allowing Carol to pass between them.

"How do you want to handle this?" Kara asked as Carol wove unsteadily in an arc that would bring her back on target.

"I don't know." Rogue admitted. "I don't want to hurt her. She just needs help and I wish I could give it to her." Kara looked at her and then nodded.

"Good sentiments. However, we do have a slight problem. She is drunk and out for blood. Yours in particular."

There was no time for further discussion as Carol dove at them, hatred twisting her face into a hideous mask.

"Enough of this." Kara snapped as she and Rogue once again moved out of the way of the reckless charge. "If she doesn't hurt herself she is going to end up hurting someone else. I'm going to put a stop to this now." She took off after the erratically flying Carol, catching up to her easily. She took hold of one ankle and curved upwards, easily carried the now squalling Carol into the upper atmosphere.

"You blonde witch!" Carol screeched. "Let me go!" Kara didn't bothering answering as she continued to climb higher. She kept an eye on Carol as the atmosphere began to grow thinner. When she showed no signs of having breathing problems she decided on another course of action. At that point, she curved downward, still dragging the woman by the ankle. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Rogue trailing her. She picked a deserted stretch of beach and, as she swooped down, dropped the gasping woman to the sand. By the time she landed, Carol had climbed to her hands and knees, head hanging as she vomited the excess liquor from her body. Rogue touched down by Kara, keeping a wary eye on the sick woman.

"You witch." Carol gasped weakly, her body going through dry heaves. Kara sighed.

"I just saved your butt, Ms. Danvers." She said, crossing her arms. "But if you really want to put it back in the wringer, you go right ahead."

"Witch!" Carol screeched. She launched herself again, this time with Kara as the target. Kara grunted as Carol's shoulder caught her in the midriff, forcing her off her feet. She flipped Carol off and regained her feet.

"Now it's my turn." She snarled. She waited as Carol dove again and then, using one hand, swatted her straight into the ground at her feet.

"Do you get the message now?" Kara snapped. "Don't screw with me, woman. You don't have what it takes." She grabbed Carol by the hair, pulling her head up. "And get this through that drunken brain of yours. Rogue doesn't have your power anymore. She has mine!"

"Who the hell are you?" Carol jerked away, spitting out sand. She glanced over at Rogue, edging away as she took in the bare arms and hands.

"It's okay, Carol." Rogue whispered, crouching down. She held her hands up, looking at them herself as she showed them to Carol. "The mutant gene is gone. I can't absorb anyone else's powers or memories anymore." She let the hands drop. "I'm stuck with what I've got from now on."

Carol looked from Rogue to Kara, disbelief plain in her eyes.

"It's true." Kara nodded. "She accidentally came into contact with me. What she absorbed from me changed her." She shrugged and then fixed Carol with a cold stare. "Her powers are exactly like mine, now. You're out classed in that department, dearie." She squatted down and put her face within inches of Carol's. "And if she does not have the experience in using them to be able to put you down, I do." She drew back as Carol belched. "Phew. You smell like a brewery! Is this what you call being a hero? Is this the kind of example you wish to present? Pah."

She stood and turned her back on Carol. "Come on, Rogue. Let's leave this drunk alone with her hatred."

"Don't you dare judge me!" Carol screamed at Kara's back. "You have no idea what I've been through."

"Have you been dead?" Kara spun around, eyes blazing. "Have you been a disembodied spirit for over fifteen years? Have you been forgotten by history? Do your relatives have no idea you ever existed? Have you lost your entire heritage?" She reached down and drug Carol up by the scruff of the neck. "Don't talk to me about what you have been through, lady." Still holding onto her, Kara turned to Rogue. "You go finish our talk with Mr. Stark. You know what we want." She shook Carol. "I'm taking this one some where to sober up."

"Actually, I think we can handle her from here." 

Kara spun at the metallic sounding voice. There were three of them. One, a man in a golden suit of armor, another dressed in red, white and blue, sporting a round shield with the same colors, and the third…Kara gaped. A student of mythology in school, she had no trouble recognizing the third as Thor, the Norse God of Thunder. It was not the god, however, that stood forth, taking the lead. It was the man in colors of the flag.

"Ironman", he indicated the man in the armor "has told us about you, Supergirl." He stepped forward. Carol, obviously embarrassed hung her head, refusing to meet the gazes of any of the men present.

"How…?" Kara began, looking towards Ironman.

"I work for Stark Industries." Ironman explained. He lifted a hand to indicate his companions. "We'll get to know each other better later. For now, let me introduce Captain America and Thor."

"By the All Father thou are fast, girl." Thor rumbled. "We did trail thee from the Stark building and have only now caught up to thee!"

"Carol was, at one time, part of our team." Captain America explained. He stepped forward and, taking Carol's chin in his hand forced her to look at him. "We expelled her from the Avengers because of her drinking problem. Perhaps we erred in not making sure that she received help."

"An alcoholic with super powers." Kara shuddered and released her hold on Carol.

Captain America nodded sadly and then turned his attention to Rogue.

"Of course you understand why she hates you." He asked, his tone saying that he knew the answer already.

"Of course." Rogue drew herself up and looked him in the eye. "Yet, as we tried to explain to her, I am no longer a mutant. Nor do I have the ability to steal anyone's abilities or memories any longer."

"So Tony Stark explained to me." Ironman spoke up. "He also asked me to pass on a message for him. He will be rather tied up for the rest of the day. He will be contacting you at your fortress within a day or so to go over the final arrangements for the press conference."

"Okay." Kara tore her eyes away from the Thunder God and looked at Rogue. "Let's get out of here." 

Rogue nodded and, bunching her muscles, bounded into the sky. Kara nodded to the Avengers and leapt up after her friend.

"Kara," Rogue spoke up as they turned and headed north. Kara wanted to be there when the people from Stark Industries started work on the Fortress. "I've made up my mind."

"Oh?"

"Yeah." She flew closer and laid a hand on Kara's arm. "I think it is time I left the X-Men. I think you still need help in understanding this Reality and I need some one to help me learn to use these new powers. What do you think?"

"Well, You may be right." Kara mused. Then she smiled. "Come on. Let's get home before the moving men get there." Laughing, the two Super femmes sped through the sky, heading towards the Arctic Circle. 

Chapter 5 Stark Industries 

"Where is the blasted girl?" Reed Richards paced back and forth in the room Tony Stark had sit aside for personal guests during the media event. "The press conference starts in two hours and she decides to take off." He turned a glare towards Rogue.

"She said she needed some time alone to think." Rogue shrugged off the glare. She glanced down at her costume smiling. Still her traditional green and yellow, it had been altered slightly. Where, above the left breast, there had been a symbol representing the X-men there was now new symbol. Roughly the same size as the old, Rogue now wore the S symbol so well known in that other Reality. Now it would become known in this one and she and Kara would make it known.

"She's a big girl, Reed." Sue spoke up. She was reclining in a chair, looking over a program of the coming event. 

"Don't worry so much, stretch-o." Ben Grim put his two cents in. He had been talking old times with Jennifer Walters. He was also trying to ride herd on Johnny Storm. Johnny was, at least in Ben's opinion, just one step from drooling over himself as he tried to hold a conversation with Storm and Jubilee, the representatives of the X-men. They were close on either side of Rogue, talking in low tones. While Jubilee did not look happy at all, Storm was the picture of serenity.

Reed gave every one a final disgusted look and stepped outside.

"And so it comes to an ending." Reed turned as Dr. Strange stepped out of the shadows. "Our child is growing up and setting out on her own."

"Our child?" Reed looked at Stephen then grinned. "Yeah, I guess in a way she is." He sighed. "And now we get to see what we have unleashed on the world."

"Still worried that we did the wrong thing?" Stephen shook his head. "We did what was right for us to do. Now Kara must take responsibility."

"I just wish I knew where she was." Reed groused.

"In that, at least, I can ease your mind." Strange said. "She has gone to put memories to rest and to come to peace with her past." He looked at Reed and smiled ever so slightly. "She has gone to seek out Access."

"Oh that's just wonderful." Reed's voice dripped sarcasm. "Thank you so very much for putting my mind at ease."

"Think nothing of it." Strange hid his smile as turned and entered the waiting room, leaving a fuming Reed Richards glaring at his back.

The Rebirth

"I am still not sure that his is such a good idea." Access worried. Kara glanced at him and stepped away, looking around.

"Probably not." She agreed. "But it is something I needed to do." She stepped out of the alley, glancing up and down the street. Leeville! A few passersby saw her, did a double take, and then smiled. She was wearing the costume, or rather a copy of the costume that she had worn at the time of her battle with the Anti-Monitor.

"Wait here." She called back in to the alley. "I won't be long." Her knees bent and, before Access could protest, she was airborne.

She flew over the sleepy town, making sure that she was extremely visible. She looked around, noting subtle differences here and there. Over all, this Leeville was larger than the Leeville she had called home for so many years. 

After just a few moments she got the reaction she had been looking for. Streaking up from the town was another blue and red clothed figure. Kara nodded and swung around on a heading towards Metropolis. She kept her speed down so as not to loose the figure trailing her, but going fast enough to keep her from catching up before she had attracted the attention of the next person she needed to see.

The trip to Metropolis was not a long one. The huge city, at first glance, looked no different than the Metropolis she had known. And there, there was her destination. She angled down and swung a few tight orbits around the Daily Planet building. 

"Superman, I need to talk." She sub-vocalized, hoping that this Superman's hearing was on par with her own. She then shot straight up, coming to a hovering stop well above the city. She kept an eye on the blue and red figure that had trailed her from Leeville. She wanted no violent confrontation.

The other Supergirl closed and came to a hover a good distance from Kara. Kara nodded approvingly. She had not come in too close, but had come in close enough to size up the situation and had put herself in a position to attack if the situation warranted it.

"Okay, who the hell are you and what are you doing dressed like me…." The other Supergirl paused, getting a good look at the costume. "Not bad. Though I would loose the headband."

"Supergirl. Hold on!" Both women glanced down as Superman rose to meet them. He moved in, placing himself somewhat between the two. His gave Kara a searching glance and then nodded to this Reality's Supergirl. Kara kept silent until Superman had filled Supergirl in on Kara's story. By the end, Supergirl's face was a mask of horror.

"You….you're Kryptonian?" She asked of Kara. "Like Superman?"

"Similar." Kara answered, swallowing the lump in her throat. This was harder than she thought it would be. "There are some small differences."

"Small." Superman smiled. "The Superboy I met in the Alternate reality that our Supergirl came from was more powerful than me. You are more his match than mine." Kara shrugged.

"What can we do for you, Kara?" Superman asked.

"Information." Kara answered, somewhat curtly. She had to wind this up and get back where she belonged….if she really belonged anywhere. "Any thing you have in the way of Kryptonian physiology, plans for some of the equipment in your Fortress of Solitude, and a star chart." 

"Done." Superman nodded. He looked close at Kara. "It will take some time to get what you want together, but I don't think you have the time." Kara looked down at her hand, startled to see that she was starting to fade.

"I need to get back to Leeville and Access." She said. "I can't stay in this Reality. If I do, I'll fade into non-existence."

"Go." Superman ordered. "I'll get what you need together." He paused. "It is apparent that we should have a communications system."

"Reed Richards has said much the same thing." Kara nodded. "A way for the heroes of both Realities to communicate in case of emergencies that might require their combined forces."

"He is correct." Superman nodded. "Get going. When I get what you need, I'll bring it to Leeville and leave it with Supergirl. Access can get it from her and deliver it to you." Kara nodded and started to take off. "Kara?" She turned as Superman put his arms around her, pulling her close. "I told you once that I would be proud to call you cousin." He tilted her face up to look at him. "I am proud and, though we come from different realities, I would be honored if you would consider me your family."

"And me." Supergirl put a hand on Kara's shoulder. "Now you must go, you are really starting to fade." She turned to Superman. "Go. I'll make sure she gets to Leeville."

"Right." Superman sped off, arcing up and to the north.

"Come on." Supergirl urged Kara. Kara nodded and, taking Supergirl by the hand, poured on the speed as she headed back to Leeville and Access.

"Wow!" Supergirl breathed, astonished at their velocity. "You were letting me follow you! You could have left me in the dust at any time!"

The Rebirth

"You sure like cutting it close!" Access griped as Kara and Supergirl landed at the entrance to the alley. Passersby gaped at the sight of two Supergirls, side by side. Access looked from one to the other then shrugged. "We have to get you outta here." He continued. Both women nodded. Kara turned to Supergirl, holding out her hand. Supergirl ignored the hand and pulled Kara into a close embrace.

"Take care, Kara." She whispered. "maybe someday I can visit you and we can get to know each other. I would love to hear about your life." Kara smiled weakly and stepped closer to Access.

"Maybe." She said. "Someday."

The Rebirth

Having agreed to return and pick up the things Superman was gathering for her and deliver them to Tony Stark, Access faded back out, leaving her standing in a small clearing….alone.

"Is this where I belong?" She whispered to herself. The fading had stopped the instant she had been returned to this reality. Yet still, in her heart, she wasn't sure that she belonged here. "Perhaps I should have stayed there and just faded away." She bent her knees and pushed off, gaining speed as she soared straight up. Within moments, she was punching out of the upper atmosphere, the darkness of space closing around her. Turning, she regarded the blue green globe before her. For a long moment she looked over this Earth that was so much like the Earth she remembered and yet, at the same time, was so much different.

A flash of light off to her right interrupted her contemplation of her situation. She activated her x-ray vision and focused in on the area of space from which the light had originated. On this earth, as on her own, a noted French scientist had theorized that any thing placed in orbit in certain points would tend to remain in those positions; neither drawing closer nor drawing away. There were five of these points, called LaGrange Points, in the Earth Moon system; One between the Earth and moon, one on the farside of the Earth and one on the farside of the Moon. The remaining two points trailed and preceded the Earth in her orbit, remaining equal distances from both the Earth and Moon. These two, LaGrange had further theorized, would be the most stable of the five. His theories had proven to be fact and now, over a century later, man had begun construction of human habitats in both the L4 and L5 positions. It was the habitat under construction in the L4 position that she was focusing on. Fires, obviously feeding upon the oxygen within the habitat, ran rampant. Without thinking, Kara kicked it in gear. Fire, she knew, was even more dangerous in space than on the planet surface. Though it would die quickly due to lack of oxygen, it would first use up what there was, leaving anyone not in emergency gear suffocating. That is if the intense heat of the flash fires didn't kill them first.

All of this ran through Kara's head as she zipped in. First things first, she would need to gain entrance into the main torus of the station with out damaging it's integrity. A huge, gaping hole in the outward facing shell answered that dilemma. From the looks of it, an explosion had occurred, blowing outwards.

"Damn" Kara thought. She looked around quickly, her gaze resting on an abandoned construction shack. "Time to patch the tire." She aimed herself at the shack, her heat vision slicing it into chunks. 

To the few observers, it seemed as if a blue and red blur had appeared out of nowhere. As they watched, the blur increased speed until there seemed to be a solid blue and red line linking the habitat at the explosion point to the construction shack.

Holding each chunk of the shack in place, her strength greater than the force of the air being blown and pulled out of the habitat, Kara built up a temporary patch over the hole, welding each piece in place with her heat vision. The last piece she held and welded from the inside. She then turned her attention to the fires. Already groups of people were battling the blazes, bringing them under control now that they no longer had to worry about the gaping hole. Letting them handle the fires, she turned here x-ray vision through the wreckage, locating those too injured to extract themselves. These Kara retrieved from the mess, depositing them in clear corridors before heading back for more.

She worked for several minutes until she could no longer detect any that remained alive. Again using her x-ray vision, she scanned nearby space for any that had been blown out. She discovered several bodies, but no one in any kind of suit that could withstand the vacuum of space.

She located a person that seemed to be organizing the emergency efforts.

"You seem to have things under control here." She told him. His face was streaked with sweat and smoke and he appeared exhausted, yet he offered a smile.

"Thank you." He said. "With out you we would have all died." Kara waved that away.

"I just patched the leak, you and your people did and are still doing all the hard work. Is there anything else I can do for you?" The man shook his head.

"I think we can handle it from here, Miss…" He paused expectantly.

"Not Miss." Kara smiled. "Just call me Supergirl." She turned and then halfway turned back. "I'm going to reinforce my patchwork, but it's still only temporary. You'll have to get a work crew to make more permanent repairs." And she was gone. The man rushed to a view port and, after a few moments, saw a blue and red streak heading back towards the surface of the planet.

"Communications. Get in touch with headquarters and tell them what happened." He ordered. "And get a line directly to the boss. Tell Mr. Stark that she just saved the station and almost everyone on board."

"Tell him who saved us?" The Comm tech asked. The supervisor turned and looked at her then looked back out the portal. Though he could no longer see her, he could envision her entering the atmosphere about now. 

"Tell him…Tell him that it was Supergirl." He answered the tech after a moment. "Supergirl just saved our butts!"

Chapter 6 Stark Industries 

There was a soft tapping at the door to the waiting room and an agitated Reed Richards flung the door open. Somewhat surprised, he looked down at the mousy brown haired teen standing there.

"Uh, hi." The girl spoke hesitantly. "I, uh, have a delivery. It's in care of a Tony Stark or Reed Richards."

"I'm Reed Richards." Reed groused. He stepped back, startled, as a huge bundle of items floated in through the door.

"Where do you want it?" The girl asked, stepping in behind the bundle.

Sue Richards looked up and smiled.

"Telekinesis?" She asked. Her question was more than an inquiry. It also served to alert the others in the room that something was up.

Rogue looked away from her conversation with Storm and Jubilee, gasping as she took in the girl by the door. She rushed forward.

"You!" She blurted. "It's...Linda Danvers, right?"

"How?" The girl looked at Rogue, taking in the Super symbol over the right breast. "I don't understand."

"Neither do I." Reed broke in. "Rogue, do you know this girl?" He looked at the girl. "And why does that name seem familiar?"

"Because, Reed, it is the name of Kara's secret identity." Dr. Strange stepped up. "Unless I am mistaken, we have the honor of addressing the current Supergirl of the Other Reality."

The girl smiled, shyly, and her features seemed to flow, blend and rearrange themselves. Within a matter of seconds, where once a mousy brown haired girl had stood, there now stood a young blond woman wearing a variation of the blue and red costume that Kara wore.

"Wow!" Jubilee piped up from the back of the room. Supergirl's features once again blurred and once again she was Linda Danvers.

"Superman got some things together that Kara had asked for." She indicated the pile. "And then threw in some things that he thought she might want."

"And you delivered it, for him?" Reed asked, still a bit bewildered.

"Well, actually, I was going to, until Access told us what was happening today."

"You mean this event?"

"Right." Linda nodded. "Superman felt that this was probably your way of introducing Kara to your world. So we felt that it would be gesture of good will to sorta help out."

"Help out how?" Rogue asked. Linda smiled.

"Well, it's supposed to be a secret, but I'll tell you if you promise not to tell Kara." She leaned closer. "Superman is here too. Along with some other members of the Justice League and a few members of the Legion of Super-Heroes."

"But." Rogue was confused now. "Why? And I thought the Legion was in your 30th century. At least that's what Kara's told me."

"It's a long story. But to shorten it, some of the Legion are sorta trapped in our time." She looked at Reed. "In fact sir, one of them wants to talk with you and see if you can give him some ideas about constructing a device to get them back home." She turned back to Rogue. "As to why. Well, they are sorta helping out Tony Stark's people in the Arctic. You see, Superman guessed that Kara would construct her fortress in roughly the same place he built his. So he and the others have gone there to finish the construction and to add some, well, Kryptonian touches."

"Wow!" Jubilee breathed.

"You said that, already." Jennifer Walters told the girl.

Further conversation was impossible as an attendant rushed in.

"It's time sir." He told Reed. "Mr. Stark wants you all out there now."

"Great. Just great." Reed growled.

"Ladies and Gentlemen." Tony Stark stood behind the podium set up on the stage and waited for some semblance of order. Already reporters were shouting questions. Stark simply waited. When a relative quite had descended over the crowd he spoke up again. "First, There will be no questions answered until later." 

The reporters glanced at each other and then back at Stark. Earlier, some had seen the man and he had been in a cheery mood. Now that had changed.

"I am afraid that our original purpose of this conference has changed." Tony held up a sheet of paper. "I have here a memo from a group calling themselves Earth Firsters. They claim to have inserted an explosive device on one of the space colonies funded by Stark Industries." He consulted the sheet. "They gave precise measurements and details that leave us with no choice but to believe that they have done as they claim." He put the sheet on the podium. "And explosion at the place indicated would basically rupture the hull of the colony, allowing the entire atmosphere to escape, dooming the people and livestock already living there."

There was a stunned silence for a moment. Looking at over the crowd, Tony had seen both Rogue and a brown haired girl rise to their feet. A reporter that had been sitting between them had placed a hand on each of their arms, as if to stop them. For some reason the reporter, vaguely familiar, despite the glasses, was smiling, as if enjoying some secret knowledge.

Glancing to the wings of the stage, Tony noticed Mrs. Arbogast beckoning to him frantically.

"Excuse me for a moment." He walked over and glanced at the sheet of paper she handed him, his face transforming with undisguised glee.

"Ladies and Gentlemen." He returned to the podium and once again waited until he had everyone's attention. "I have here a communiqué from the Colony's Manager. It appears there was, indeed, an explosive device and, approximately thirty minutes ago, it detonated."

The uproar was instantaneous. Reporters, with the exception of the one between Rogue and the brown haired girl, were on their feet, shouting questions. He held up a hand, not saying anything until quiet once again returned.

"The explosion blew a sizeable hole in the outer hull." He paused. "Though there was some loss of life, a majority of the stations personnel and livestock survived and repairs are already underway." He set the paper down. "Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my honor to announce that the survival of a Stark Industries colony and the original purpose of this event coincide." He placed both hands on the podium and leaned forward. Behind him, on a series of screens pictures of a multitude of individuals began to appear. 

"Over the years, it has been the privilege and honor of Stark Industries to fund individuals it was felt could and would contribute to the well being of humanity. From scientists to metaphysical researchers to persons with unique abilities." He paused, taking a sip from a glass of water on the podium. "So it was with great pleasure that we continue that tradition today. Today, Stark Industries would like to announce that we have asked and been allowed to fund not one, but two individuals. Both of these young ladies have unique abilities that we feel could be used to benefit humanity."

Rogue's eyes flew wide at Tony Stark's announcement. She looked around to find the reporter next to her and Linda beyond him smiling at her. A touch on the shoulder from Storm who had taken a seat behind hers and a whispered "You go, Rogue" from Jubilee only added to her confusion.

"The first of these young ladies may be known to some of you as having, until recently, been a member of the group known as the X-Men. Due to some incredible events, her abilities have changed considerably. For reasons that are not relevant to the current situation, she has admittedly run afoul of law enforcement officials. At the urging of Stark Industries and with the guarantee that we shall assume full responsibility, the government of the United States has agreed to grant her a conditional pardon that will, in a matter of two years, become a full pardon. Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me to introduce Rogue."

At the prodding of those around her Rogue got to her feet. She looked around for a way to get through the crowd to the stage.

"Fly." The reporter whispered. She looked at him, confused. She gasped in astonishment as he removed his glasses and allowed his features to change ever so slightly. The change was not in the manner of Linda's metamorphing, but rather a simple matter of facial muscle control.

"But…but…" Rogue stammered.

"Go, Rogue." He put the glasses back on and once again he was a simple reporter. "Go on."

Shaking her head, Rogue pushed up and over the heads of the crowd, landing lightly beside Tony Stark on the stage. Tony, she noticed was looking at the reporter. He had seen. With a small nod to the reporter, he then turned to her. He spoke to her for a moment and then, positioning her to his right, turned back to the crowd.

"He doesn't know that Kara isn't here!" Reed whispered to his wife.

"There was no time to tell him." Sue responded. She was looking around, for the first time feeling a touch of worry.

"Our other young lady comes to us from another world. The soul survivor of a world that has died." Tony was saying.

"In a way, it's true." The reporter whispered to Linda. "She IS the only survivor from HER krypton."

"God's Clark. I feel so sorry for her." Linda whispered back. "I can't even imagine."

"This young lady has adopted our world, wishing to call it home and has pledged to protect it." Tony continued. "And, Ladies and Gentlemen, she has already begun." He held up the paper Mrs. Arbogast had handed him. "It seems our young lady, within moments of the explosion on the colony, had patched the rupture and then aided in the recovery of the wounded from the damaged sections. Without her quick action, it is likely that every living being on the colony, close to 10,000 individuals, would have perished." He paused as the reporters buzzed among themselves. "And so, Ladies and Gentlemen, it is with great honor and our most sincere gratitude that we introduce Kara Zorel. Ladies and Gentlemen…I give you…Supergirl!"

There was a moment of silence and then, with a rush of wind that sent loose papers flying helter-skelter, a dark blue figure moved from the rear of the auditorium to the stage. She was dressed in the costume that Stark Industries had created for her. Dark blue hip huggers, open and laced along the outer thighs until they reached the knee high boots. A dark blue leather style jacket over a light blue halter that sported the traditional S symbol.

Clark looked at the figure on the stage and then at Linda.

"You gave her that, didn't you?" He demanded.

"No." She smiled, though. "It does look damn good, doesn't it?"

The Rebirth

"Yes. Formidable indeed." Victor Von Doom leaned back in his throne, studying the final images from his spy spider. The little mechanical device had sent it's final transmission, the last picture transmitted as a pair of red beams from those blue eyes all but vaporized it. 

Doom had no idea how the spy had been discovered, but it really didn't matter. It had gathered enough information over the months to convince him that an encounter with either Kara or Rogue was not advisable. Not yet anyway.

Some might think that Doom's decision had been one of cowardice. Such persons thinking this would be fools indeed. Doom was no coward, but he was cautious. Very cautious. For the time being, he would avoid any direct confrontation with either young lady. But, being cautious, he had prepared for the unexpected. Should either young lady pay him a visit, he would be ready. The little spy had done its work well, tapping into Reed Richards files, gaining the information Doom needed. He glanced to the left of his throne at the new pedestal there. It's flattened top covered with a handled glass dome. Beneath the glass, a fist sized chunk of greenish, glowing matter. Working from the information gathered from Richards' files, it had not taken him long to synthesize the material. Yes, should either lady visit he would be ready. He placed a hand on the dome of glass over the green Kryptonite. Ready indeed.

The Rebirth

The Watcher watched. He had seen the beginning of this story. And if either of the Brothers had noticed the comings and goings between their Realities, neither gave a sign. Perhaps they had decided to allow this lost child a second chance at a life that had, for all purposes, been stolen from her.

It would be interesting indeed to see what would come of this. To Watch as this young lady made a new life for herself.

Interesting indeed.

The end of the Rebirth: A New Beginning Story Concludes in The Resurrection Chapter 3: To Discover a World 


	3. The Rebirth Chapter 3: To Discover a Wor...

The Rebirth Chapter 3: To Discover a World © Dylan Clearbrook Arctic Circle 

Winter in the Arctic. Blowing winds caused the heavy snow to fall in almost horizontal sheets. Scientists and those few brave individuals that call the Arctic home sat huddled in their Quonset huts and prefabs, protected from the man-killing elements that raged on the other side of the thin walls. Any human caught out in this blizzard was risking a quick, cold death. Any normal human, that is.

Slicing through the sheets of falling ice and snow, Rogue alternately used her telescopic and x-ray visions to navigate through the storm. Though she was able to discern differences in temperature, extremes at either end of the spectrum had no effect on her or her system.

Out of habits developed over the past months, she did not make directly for her destination. Instead, she zigzagged through the sky before finally coming to ground in a place that, for all practical purposes, was completely invisible from the air and was even hard to see from the ground unless you stood in front of the massive doors. 

Unlike its counterpart in the Other Reality, these doors were not locked with a huge key. Instead, it locked and unlocked only at the touch of certain individuals. She was one of those individuals. As well she should be. For this was home.

It was far different than the few caverns that she and Kara had carved out months ago. Then it had been a simple affair of four small caverns branching off one central cavern. They had not been allowed to finish it. They had taken their plans for furnishing the caverns to Tony Stark who, in turn, turned it over to his people. They had started an intensive project that would have taken months to complete. Then help had arrived. Help in a very unexpected way. Traveling to this Reality, Superman, Green Lantern, and a few other heroes of the other Reality had joined with Tony Stark's men and Prof. Xavier to create a Fortress of Solitude similar to Superman's, yet with touches here and there to reflect it's future inhabitants.

As she stepped in through the double doors, allowing them to close behind her, Rogue was once again taken by the sight that greeted her. Standing just inside the entrance, bracing an opening into the main cavern, were two massive statues. Originally, for want of a better idea, Superman had installed copies of the statues in his own fortress. His mother and Father. Jor and Lara El. It had not taken Kara long to change that. Within days, the figures, standing on opposite sides of the opening and together holding a globe of Krypton over the opening, had been redone. Gone were Jor and Lara in contemporary dress of the Krypton of Superman's reality. In their place stood Zor and Allura El. Kara's real mother and father in the contemporary dress of Argo-City, the Kryptonian city that had, due to Zor-El's foresight, lived through the explosion of Krypton. The Krypton of her reality, that is.

Beyond the archway, in the main cavern, there were exhibits of the adventures both she and Kara had had since the press conference during which Tony Stark had introduced Team Supergirl. Kara had been insistent about that. It was not strictly HER fortress, but THEIR fortress.

Kara had sat aside one small cavern where she displayed replicas of artifacts she recalled as being in her cousin's fortress, but other than that, decorating was something they did together. Off to the left of the cavern ran a tunnel that led to the infirmary. Here, again thanks to Superman, an elaborate automated medical system had been constructed. With the help of Reed Richards, the equipment had been fine tuned to account for the subtle differences between the other Reality's Superman and the type of Kryptonian Kara was and Rogue had become.

To the right of the cavern ran a series of tunnels that led to living and guest quarters, a kitchen, and other basic living areas. 

Straight ahead, just to the left of the tunnel that led to what Rogue called Kara's Kryptonian room, was a short tunnel that ended in the Joint Computer/ Communications Room. From here, she or Kara could contact any one they might need to contact. Also a special system had been installed that would allow her to contact both the Justice League and Superman in the other Reality. More than once Rogue had walked in to find Kara chatting away with either Superman or with Linda Danvers. She herself had talked at length with them both and with other heroes such as Power Girl, Nightwing, and Wonder Woman. She had made a mental note not to mention this to Jubilee or that girl would always be clamoring to come here so she could talk to Robin. It was also in this room that Rogue would often find Kara, using the super-computer to sift through data, looking for who knew what.

And so Rogue found her now. So intense was she on the star charts she was studying, she didn't even notice Rogue entering the room.

"Whatcha got there?" Rogue asked, coming up behind her and putting her hands on her shoulders.

"Wha!!!!" Kara literally lifted out of her seat, spinning around. "Don't DO that!" She scolded. Rogue smiled. "Give a girl a heart attack." Though Kara grumbled, her smile took any sting out of the words. She took her seat again and, with a few quick keystrokes, called up two star charts, displaying them side-by-side on the screen. "Take a look at this!" She exclaimed. "I think I've found it!"

Rogue looked at the meaningless charts and shook her head.

"I have no idea what I'm looking at." She admitted.

"This," Kara indicated the chart on the left side of the screen. "is a chart I got from Superman." Next she indicated the chart on the right. "This one came from Reed Richards." She caused both charts to zoom in on one particular area. From what Rogue could see, they were identical. Using a light pen, Kara circled certain features on the left-hand chart. "These are what I guess you could say are landmarks that I remember. By first studying this chart until I could find the exact sequence of stars that I remember, I was able then to run a sort until the computer came up with a corresponding area in this Reality." The computer obligingly circled the matches. "Look close. See any differences?" 

Rogue studied both charts. At first she saw no difference then it seemed to leap out at her.

"Here." Rogue indicated a red spot on the right-hand chart. "This isn't on the other chart."

"Exactly." Kara nodded, enthusiastic. "Yet in MY reality, it WAS there."

"Okay. So what does that mean?"

"Look at this." Kara pressed a few keys and the left-hand screen zoomed in closer. At this magnification, Rogue could just barely make out a small speck that could have been a planet. "Now watch." Another key pressed and the screen began to flicker. "What you are seeing is the same sector of space over a period of time. Watch that speck." Rogue watched, her eyebrows rising as, time and again the speck seemed to disappear. Reappearing moments later. When she mentioned this, Kara nodded. 

"Exactly." Kara looked at the screen, her face troubled now. "I believe that is it. But if it is, we've got to get moving."

"Kara." Rogue put a hand on Kara's arm. "What exactly is it you think you've found?" Kara met Rogue's eyes.

"Rokyn. " She breathed. "Rao help us and them, I think its Rokyn."

To Discover A World

"It's a long story." Kara and Rogue had moved from the Computer Room to the common area that adjoined their rooms. Kara was in an overstuffed chair; her feet tucked up under her, a steaming mug of hot chocolate in her hands. She blew at the steam and then looked up. "It really began before the Krypton in my Reality exploded."

Rogue, sprawled on a couch, leaning against an arm rest and nursing her own mug of chocolate kept silent, letting Kara tell it in her own time. A com screen showing Reed Richards remained quiet as well. Rogue had insisted that Reed be consulted on this.

"An android, built by the machine masters of the Planet Colu and every bit as evil, had made a career of stealing segments of different societies to be used as exhibits. He would take whole communities. Using a device he had developed, he would shrink the entire community, people, buildings, everything, and then transport them to his vessel where they would be placed in what amounted to over glorified terrariums." Kara paused, taking a sip of her chocolate. "This android, by the name of Brainiac, visited Krypton mere days before the disaster. He selected and kidnapped the city of Kandor. Though I am sure it was not his intention, Brainiac actually saved a segment of Kryptonian society from destruction."

"I have heard you refer to a Brainiac before. I believe you called him Brainiac 5?" Rogue observed.

"Querl Dox was his real name." Kara nodded. "It was his great-great-great grandfather that instigated the Coluan revolt against the machine masters. Brainiac had genetically altered him and then raised him to be a son. Due to the altering and the proximity to Brainiac, Vril Dox's intellect was raised by a tremendous amount. Interestingly enough, each generation thereafter had a higher intellect level than the one before. Querl had reached a twelfth level intellect and it was suspected that any children he might have would have an even higher one."

"Twelfth Level." Reed mused. "I recall speaking to that lad about time travel. If I understand the method of measurement used, a Twelfth Level Intellect in that Reality is extremely high."

"Yes sir. The intellect level of the average person is about 6 or 7. I would venture to guess that, were you over there, you yourself would be classified as an eleven or twelve." Kara nodded. "In any case, Brainiac had stolen the city of Kandor and put it in a bottle, so to speak. Years later, Brainiac would reach Earth and steal a city. The city he chose to steal was Metropolis."

"Oh ho!" Rogue chortled, knowing where this was going. "Superman lived in Metropolis."

"Right. To shorten the tale, Superman not only was able to stop Brainiac and restore Metropolis, he was able to rescue the city of Kandor as well. He had the city set up in his Fortress for years. Then I came along and, shortly after that, we discovered two suspended animation chambers in space, floating in a trajectory from where Argo-city had broken apart towards Earth. My mother and father." Kara paused and then plunged on. "My parents chose to live in Kandor. Superman and I had developed a method of shrinking people, using Brainiac's basic design, allowing travel to and from Kandor. Unfortunately, we could not for the longest time, develop a way of enlarging anyone that had been shrunk when the city was first bottled. Metropolis was lucky in that it was restored to its rightful size within a short time after it had been shrunk. It seems the shrinking process, over a period of time, became irreversible. We tried a few times with some test animals. The results were always hideously painful and ultimately fatal. Finally, together with the Kandorian scientists, we developed a way to overcome the problem and enlarge the city. The Kandorian council then located a world similar to Krypton, complete with a red star where they wished to be enlarged. So, using vessels Superman and I constructed, we took the city to the world and enlarged it."

"Why vessels?" Rogue asked.

"Remember, we are powerless under a red sun." Kara pushed a strand of hair out of her eyes and continued. "The council then attacked us."

"What!" Rogue was flabbergasted. "Why on earth for?"

"They were intelligent." Kara smiled. "They knew that the citizens of Kandor had, over the years, come to rely on Superman and myself to fix all their problems, to always be there to rescue them. They wanted that to change. They wanted the people of Rokyn to learn to rely on themselves instead of on us."

"So they attacked you." 

"Right. The rendered us unconscious, put us on a ship, and sent us on our way back to earth. They knew by the time we regained consciousness, it would be too late. You see, they had chosen their new world with care. This world was unique in that it only existed in our dimension for short periods of time. Before we could return, the world would have faded out of our dimension. They left a recording on the ship, informing us of this and their reasoning for what they had done." Kara looked into her cup, not really seeing anything but her memories. "I can see now their logic."

"Incredible." Reed announced. "But why do you think that this world, in this Reality, is the Rokyn of yours?"

"That world does not exist in the current Reality, over there." Kara answered. "But what if it weren't present at the time of the Great Crisis? What if it had been phased into another dimension or, as I believe, another Reality? This Reality! When the changes occurred, it would have not been effected. But its path to the other Reality would have been blocked. What if it was stuck here though still trying to phase into a Reality that no longer exists?"

"It would slowly tear itself apart." Reed answered after only a slight pause. "I see your point. Even if there were only the slightest chance it is your Rokyn, you would have to make the effort to find out for sure. And if so, somehow affect a rescue of the surviving Kandorians."

"Exactly, sir."

"Okay." Reed thought for a moment and then nodded to himself. "The Fantastic Four has a vessel that can make that trip in a matter of days. I am afraid that we are already committed to another task. However, you and Rogue are welcome to borrow it. But tell me this. How are you going to pull this off if, as you say, you will be powerless?"

"That, sir, is something I haven't quite got figured out." Kara admitted. "But, between the two of us, I am sure Rogue and I can come up with something."

"Great." Rogue shook her head. "That's just great." She heaved a sigh and stood. "Well, when do we leave?"

Deep Space Near Rokyn 

As he sped through the void, he contemplated the summons he had received. 

Though he had no inkling of what the danger might be, he knew also that Dr. Strange would not summon him for petty purposes. Add to that the fact that the summons had included Quasar, it was easy to see that, whatever crisis faced them; it was one of cosmic intensity. So, taking their leave of the Star Masters, both he and Quasar had set out for Earth, each blazing their own trail.

So intense was he in his effort to unravel this puzzle, he very nearly missed the sudden and swiftly growing distortion in his path as his path cut through a supposedly planet free system.

Slowing, he watched and waited as the distortion rapidly expanded and began to solidify. A planet. A large, obviously heavy gravity planet was materializing before him. And, though not yet solid, he could already sense.... life! 

Interesting. Were the pull of the summons not so strong, he would take the time to investigate this novelty. There was something strangely familiar to the feel of the life on this world.

He altered his trajectory, curving around the upper atmosphere of the planet to pick up the trail on the other side. And again he paused.

A ship! Though not in his direct path, it lay close enough attract his attention. The Fantastic Four! Perhaps Reed Richards had found the planet to be worthy of study as well. But would Reed Richards, if there were a crisis on Earth, be here? He paused, his desire to answer the summons as quickly as possible warring with his curiosity. In the end, he elected to pause to investigate. If it were not Reed Richards, he might still be able to discover some indication as to the nature of the summons. He would also impart what knowledge he had already gleaned concerning the planet below. The silver glowing board tilted and raced forward, it's occupant balanced easily as it neared the vessel.

"Okay. We're here." Rogue muttered, glancing out the view port. "So what do we do now?" She then looked down to the bandage on her finger. When the planet had rematerialized last she had been in the galley, preparing a meal. The turbulence had caused the vessel to shake, which in turn had caused Rogue to slip with the knife she was using to cut some meat. 

After Kara had complimented her on her mastery of swearing and bandaged the cut, she had once again warned her. They were powerless under the red sun.

"I haven't the slightest idea." Kara sat back, disgusted. "I had expected there to be some activity in space, some indication that the inhabitants were at least trying to flee." She waved a hand toward the forward view screen without looking. "Nothing. Nothing to indicate they ever redeveloped even the rudiments of space flight. Not even a communications satellite."

Rogue's eyes had followed Kara's wave, glancing out the screen. Her eyes widened and she moved closer to Kara.

"Kara, we've got company." She said just as the silvery figure slid off the screen, to the side of the vessel. Kara spun and looked out and then gave Rogue a thoroughly disgusted look.

"Company? Out here? Rogue, Kryptonian's are powerless under this sun. How could we have visitors if they don't even have space flight?

"Don't ask me." Rogue replied, glancing over at a bulkhead. "Ask him." She jerked her thumb and Kara turned. With a startled yelp, she jumped to her feet, leaping for the weapons locker, as first a head and then a torso phased through the outer and inner hulls of the vessel.

"Peace." The silvery figure spoke as he stepped fully onto the deck. He looked around. "Reed Richards is not here." It was not a question, but rather like a confirmation of something he had already guessed. 

"No, he's not, Surfer." Rogue stepped forward, motioning for Kara to relax and move away from the weapons locker.

"You know me?" The Sliver Surfer looked at Rogue. "I do not recall having seen you before."

"You haven't." Rogue agreed. "But most People of Earth know of you. Especially those with super powers or unusual abilities." She gestured around at the vessel. "Reed Richards allowed us the use of this ship."

"It is strange. Such a novelty as this would surely have intrigued Reed Richards. Or so I believe."

"It did intrigue him." Rogue nodded. "However, pressing business kept him from joining us."

"It is as I thought." The Surfer nodded. "I can but assume that he received a summons as did I and even now awaits my arrival. So you study this anomaly in his stead."

"Actually, we're here to rescue the inhabitants." Kara spoke up, for the first time. The Surfer looked at her, his eyes widening slightly.

"You resemble one I have seen before." He said. "One who was and is but is no longer the same."

"Well, I doubt it was anyone I would know." Kara spoke curtly. It was still difficult for her to speak about her past. 

The Surfer looked first at her and then turned back to Rogue, studying her clothes. When his eyes found the symbol above her left breast he nodded.

"It is as I thought." He stepped closer to Kara. "You are not from here." It was not a question. "You are from the other reality." His eyes glowed bright and a silvery light enveloped both women.

"Hey!" Kara stepped back, moving again towards the weapons locker. If the Surfer knew her destination, it didn't bother him.

"It is but a scan." He spoke as the light faded. "You," he pointed at Kara, "are indeed of another reality. But not the same reality as the Superman that I have most recently seen. But rather from the reality of the Superman I once called friend." He shook his head. "That reality is gone. And yet you are here." He turned to Rogue. "And you, there is something of that other reality in you as well. Though I can see that you were born here, in this reality, you are now closer to belonging to her", he indicated Kara, "reality more than this one." He turned and looked out the view screen to the image of the planet rotating below them. "And the life on this planet. It is of the same reality. A mystery indeed." He turned again, looking at Kara. "You are Kara. Your cousin spoke of you, when last I saw him."

"You knew Kal?" Kara was shaken, grasping for something to support her.

"I did. It is sad that he, as he was, is no longer." He turned, heading for the hull. "However, I cannot tarry. I must be on my way. I must reach Earth." 

"Galactus!" Rogue paled. "Is he on his way?"

"I do not believe so." The Surfer answered. "I am but answering a summons by Dr. Strange."

"Wait." Kara stepped forward. "I don't suppose that we could, uh, recruit you." She ignored Rogue's fearful glance. 

"Recruit?"

"We have a slight problem." Kara told him. "We expected the inhabitants of the planet to be able to help in their own evacuation of the planet. Now we see that is not possible, and neither of us have any power here."

"Indeed?" He glanced at them again, his eyes glowing softly brighter as he scanned them at the molecular level. "Ah yes. " He nodded. "My scan showed me that persons of your kind are powerless under the rays of a red sun." He paused for a moment, his eyes again glowing. Both women felt a slight tingling throughout their bodies, nothing more. "That shall no longer be a problem for you. It was a simple matter of molecular manipulation. The radiation specific to red stars will no longer hinder you. Nor will the radiation of other stars save that of yellow ones. That is as much as I can do at the present. I cannot stay, I am sorry. I can offer you one piece of advice, however. He looked back at them both. "Move swiftly. I cannot say why, but I believe you have even less time than you realize. Good Luck." He was gone, Kara rushing to the views screen to see his form disappear in a slivery streak that shot away, to be swallowed by the depths of space.

"Kara?" She turned to see Rogue, the bandage on her finger removed and her attention fixed on the cut. She watched, thunderstruck, as the wound sealed it self, healing. Within seconds, there was not even a scar to indicate that she had been cut. Rogue looked up and met Kara's eyes.

"We have our powers back!" She breathed. Kara said nothing as she turned and looked at the planet that now filled the screen.

For a long moment she stood there. When she finally spoke, she did so without turning.

"He just looked and changed our molecular structure." Her voice was small, cowed. She turned then, her eyes troubled. "He just looked at us."

"It's a new place you've come to, Kara." Rogue stepped up, putting an arm around her friend. "A new, wondrous place, and yet perhaps because it is so wondrous, it is can be more dangerous as well."

"This Galactus you and this...this Silver Surfer...spoke of. Who is he?"

"You don't want to know." Rogue muttered.

"But I do." Kara insisted. "I need to know all I can."

"No, believe me, you don't want to know." Rogue sighed and turned toward the console. "Unfortunately, whether you want to or not, you need to know. If I am right, I would imagine that Reed has a very elaborate data base...ah here it is." She pulled up and file and information started flowing across one of the auxiliary screens. "This is what Reed has on Galactus and his Heralds."

Kara started down the list of known Heralds, past and present. Her face paled as she saw the Silver Surfer listed there. "This Galactus had the power to hold the silver guy?"

"Did and still does, if I don't miss my guess." Rogue replied. Kara continued down the list, her mouth dropping with a gasp as she grew even paler. There, among the names of the past Heralds, was a name she could not help but recognize...Superman."

"According to this, it was only for a short time." Rogue read over her shoulder.

"But these dates!" Kara did a quick calculation. "If these are correct, then that would have happened before the Anti-monitor showed up in our Reality. That would be MY Superman.... my cousin!"

"Hmmmmm. Yep. That would have been him." Rogue agreed. Kara looked at her and then went back to reading. She skipped over the rest of the Heralds and started reading about Galactus himself. By the time she was a third of the way through the information that Reed Richards had accumulated, her hands were shaking.

"By Rao!" She breathed. "We can't fight something like that!"

"You just remember that, girlfriend, if ever the big guy shows up. There are ways to beat him.... but I doubt seriously that we could do it alone." Rouge patted Kara's shoulder. "In fact I would just about guarantee that we couldn't."

Kara shut down the screen and looked back out the views screen. She was shivering uncontrollably, and it had nothing to do with the temperature in the vessel.

Rokyn 

There were none of the tall, Kryptonian style spires that Kara had expected. Rather the buildings that came into view as she and Rogue descended through the atmosphere were squat, single or two story affairs. 

As they flew in over the center of the city they could see faces of people turning upward, staring. Some began pointing and running in the direction of their flight.

"That looks like some official building." Kara pointed and banked downward, lighting on the lawn of the only building with more than two stories they had seen. Within moments, a crowd had gathered around them."

"Kara? Kara Zor-El?" A voice out of the crowd spoke up. Rogue looked at Kara. Though she had recognized the name, the accent was strange and was followed by a string of words that held no meaning for her."

"Kryptonesse." Kara explained. She smiled. "You might be Kryptonian inside now, but you still need to learn the language."

"I flunked French. " Rogue grumped, looking around at the crowd of faces. "And now she wants me to learn a language from another planet." Kara laughed and turned back to the crowd.

"Yes. It's me." She told them. She caught her breath as the crowd parted and a man and woman pushed through. Rogue tensed as the man reached Kara and threw his arms around her, the woman closing with them both in, what she realized, was a family hug. Kara pushed away, wiping tears from her face. "Rogue, My mother and father, Allura and Zor El."

The woman smiled and held out a hand to Rogue, pulling her into the hug.

"You are most welcome, sister of our daughter." Her words were heavily accented, but in English.

"It's been a replay of your Uncle's argument with the Kryptonian Council." Allura told her daughter and Rogue over the kitchen table.

After a promise that they would return, Kara and Rogue had been allowed to leave to spend a small amount of time with the El family.

Naturally the first thing that had interested the scientist in Zor, once he was satisfied that his daughter was alive and well, were Kara and Rogue's powers. Or rather, why they still had them under the red star.

"It's a long story, Dad." Kara was having a hard time keeping her hands to herself. She was constantly touching her father or her mother, as if to convince herself that they were truly alive. "I'll tell you later. Right now, just accept the fact that red stars don't bother me anymore. Nor, it seems, do heavy gravity planets...I can still fly."

Zor opened his mouth to argue but Allura shushed him.

"Later dear." She insisted. She turned and smiled at her daughter. "What I would like to know is what happened to your costume and where did you get that outlandish outfit?" Her eyes cut to Rogue. "Both of you."

"Styles have changed slightly." Rogue smiled. She really did not want to get into the subject of what had happened to the reality they had known.

And now they sat around the table, finishing off Kara's first Kryptonian meal in a long time and Rogue's first ever. She had surprised herself by liking the foods Allura had served as much as she did.

"The fools wouldn't listen." Zor slammed a hand on the table. "I begged and pleaded with them to turn their energies into a finding a way for us to leave this Rao-forsaken planet. Instead, they have wasted every resource in an attempt to stop the planet from phasing."

"Well, they haven't succeeded." Rogue said, somewhat bluntly.

"No. No they haven't. At best, they have prolonged the life of the planet for a matter of years, if not months." Zor slumped in his seat. "Whatever happened over there blocked the planet's entrance into that Reality. So, instead of phasing smoothly back and forth as it did, it gets part way there and is bounced back."

"That's why there are no tall buildings." Allura put in. "The quakes caused by the phasing brought them all down. So we began spreading out rather than building up."

"Mom, Dad. This planet is going to break up. Soon." Kara stood. "We need to get you and everyone off."

"It's not that simple, Kara." Zor shook his head.

"Sure it is." Rogue put in. "With our powers, Kara and I can fashion a couple of arks capable of holding an atmosphere and large enough to accommodate the entire population. Then we take the Arks to another planet. Simple."

"And unleash over three hundred thousand super beings on the galaxy?  
Zor smiled. "Kryptonians are just like every other people, Rogue. We have our good ones and bad ones. No, our best bet, and the safest one for the rest of the galaxy, would be to stay right here or, were it possible, under another red star." He sighed. "Even so, everyone within those arks would be dead within minutes of leaving the surface of this planet."

"What do you mean?"

"An unforeseen side effect of the enlarging process." Allura put a hand over Kara's. "It attuned us to this planet's foibles."

"She's right." Zor confirmed. "Whatever force causes this planet to phase infused every living being in Kandor when we were enlarged. When it shifts, we shift. But we have to be on the planet's surface when that shift takes place." He shuddered. "Haven't you wondered why there has been no real attempt to return to space? We tried. We sent up crews to construct a series of satellites. We had no idea what would happen. We thought they would just have to wait until the planet reappeared." He shook his head. "We sent the crews. The planet shifted. When we returned, we tried to contact those crews. Nothing. We sent some people up to look. What they found was horrifying."

"The crews had shifted with the planet." Allura continued the tale, her voice soft. "Their vessels didn't. The crews were phased out of them and into space. When we phased back, the crews, thankfully already dead, phased back with us, sometimes materializing within the center of bulkheads. It was terrible."

"Your mother was with one of the investigating crews." Zor commented. He reached out and took Allura's hand, squeezing it tight. "Thankfully, she returned to the surface before the next shift."

Rogue looked around at the faces before her. Zor, Allura, and Kara. Each of them seemingly with out a clue as to their next course of action.

"Uh." She cleared her throat, embarrassed by bringing up what she figured had already been thought of and discarded for one reason or another. "Why not just reverse the process?" Blank stares greeted her words. "You know, if it was the enlarging process that put you in tune with the planet, wouldn't an exact reversal restore you to normal?"

"You mean, re-shrinking the entire population?" Kara asked.

"Well, yeah." Rogue answered, somewhat defensively.

"Re shrink?" Zor started to scoff, then his eyes locked on Rogue. "Why not?" he mused. "Indeed, why not?"

"Zor El." Allura's sharp voice got his attention. "What are you talking about?"

"It's the only way." He looked at his wife and, while there was some hope in his eyes, there was also resignation. "We have to do it. If we want to survive, if we want any portion of the Kryptonian culture to survive, we have to go back into the bottle."

Chapter 2 Rokyn 

The Science Council

"Absolutely unthinkable!"

"Absurd!"

"Ridiculous!"

Kara was not surprised by the reaction of the some of the members of the Science Council, Rokyn's ruling body, to the proposed re-shrinking of Kandor. She was surprised that more did not reject the idea out of hand. While a majority openly scoffed at the notion, it was a very slim majority. Others, while no more enamored with the notion than their colleagues, were at least open to discussing the issue.

"It is a trick!" One councilman sneered. He pointed at Kara. "It is a trick to get us back under the power of her and her cousin."

"You've heard Kara's account of what has happened." Zor countered. He was still a bit shaken by the news Kara and Rogue had given him concerning the fate of the Reality they had known.

"Lies!" The councilman declared. "Soon, we shall develop a means of breaking through this barrier that is hampering our world's progress and then you shall see that it is all lies."

"If you find a way to break into the Other Reality," Kara's voice was hard now. Rogue was getting the impression the Kara had little use for overstuffed bureaucrats. "What you will find will be oblivion. You will fade into nothingness because, over there, you never existed. Just as I would fade. I made the trip, talked with the Superman that now exists. And I had to return before I faded into nothingness." She stepped forward, hands on her hips, a look on her face as if she were a young mother scolding errant children. "Get this through your heads. This planet is going to break up. It won't explode like Krypton, it'll merely crumble around you."

"So you say." The scoffer sniffed, clearly unimpressed.

"Those are the facts." Kara countered. "Now you have a choice. You can get to work getting the people ready, or you can get the hell out of my way."

"Kara Zor-El, you are out of line!" The scoffer was on his feet, his face red with barely suppressed rage. "You are speaking to the ruling council and you will remember it. Being Kryptonian, you are just as bound by our decisions as any other. You will, therefore, keep your peace. You will not cause a panic among the citizens. Is that understood?"

"Or what?" Rogue stepped up beside Kara. She was thankful Zor El had allowed her to use one of the Kryptonian learning devices. She now had a good, working knowledge of the Kryptonian language, though she knew her accent was atrocious. She also had one hell of a headache. Those devices, though thorough, were not pleasant and the dull pain in her head was making her a bit edgy.

"Or what?" She repeated her question. "You really want to do what Kara tells me the Council on Krypton did when Jor El told them that world was going to explode?"

Kara walked up to the standing Councilman until she was almost nose-to-nose with him. Moving on impulse she reached out and grabbed him by the front of his tunic and lifted him up and over the table between them.

"Let me clue you in, buster!" She hissed. "You have no authority over me. Any you might have had over me, which is debatable, died when I died. Do not presume to give me orders you overstuffed, pompous idiot." She sat him down and turned to the remainder of the councilmen. "This situation is too serious for you to be allowed to squabble and hedge until time runs out." She held up her hands and backed away. "However, I will not force anyone to return to a bottled city. That is a decision each person will have to make on his or her own. I will not, however, allow you to keep the people from making that choice for themselves. You have the right to stay on this planet and take your chances, if that is your wish. But you will NOT stop anyone from leaving if that is THEIR wish." She turned and, catching Rogue's eye, headed towards the council room exit. At the wide, double doors she turned. "You can either help, or you can stay out of the way. Either way, you will not interfere with the will of the people. Those that wish to stay with you idiots can, but I intend that those that wish to live be given a means of achieving that goal."

"In a bottle. As a zoo specimen." The loud-mouthed councilman had regained his composure. Kara ignored him and made sure she met the eyes of all the other council people.

"Just remember. You can help, or you can stay out of my way. Those are your choices." She turned and slammed through the doors, knocking one off its track.

"Hmmm Touchy, isn't she?" Zor whispered to Rogue, staring after his daughter. "I think she forgot our doors here are sliding, not swinging. "

"Actually, I just don't think she has much use for career politicians." Rogue looked back over her shoulder at the still stunned council. "Come to think of it, I don't either."

To Discover a World

"You've made an enemy in that one." Zor El told his daughter as they made their way back to the El dwelling. "Then again, Nar Ur never cared much for the El family to begin with."

"Ur?" Kara's brow furrowed. "Any relation to Jax Ur?"

"A distant cousin, I believe." Zor shook his head. "He has always maintained that Jax Ur was innocent of the crimes for which he was convicted. He claims Jax was framed by Jor El because Jor wanted to show off his fancy new Phantom Zone projector."

"I've encountered Jax." Kara said, shivering slightly. "He was a cold blooded killer. Uncle Jor should have pushed for execution rather than imprisonment in the Phantom Zone."

"Who is Jax Ur?" Rogue asked, feeling somewhat lost in the conversation. "And what is the Phantom Zone?"

"Jax Ur was convicted of mass murder on the planet Krypton prior to its explosion." Zor explained. "My brother, Jor El, was a key element in that conviction. The Phantom Zone is a sort of ethereal space occupying the same space and time as our own. Jor developed a method of projecting a person into that zone. There, they neither age nor hunger nor need sleep. They are basically wraiths. Jor proposed, and the council accepted, that, since Krypton had done away with the death sentence, hard core criminals be removed from society and placed into the Zone."

"The Zone is not a nice place." Kara continued. "I've been there. You can see and hear and know what is transpiring in the real universe, but you cannot interact. Criminals were to be placed in the zone for specific periods of time, though some, such as Jax Ur, General Zod, and others, were sentenced to the zone for all time."

"The death sentence would have been kinder." Rogue shivered.

"I agree." Kara replied. "Unfortunately, the Kryptonian Council did not ask my opinion on the matter."

"Kara, you were not even born when that transpired!" Zor reprimanded her.

"Perhaps not, but I and Kal were the ones that had to deal with the Phantom Zone criminals when they found ways of escaping the Zone." Kara's tone was decidedly bitter. Then she stopped, her mouth open, as if struck by some thought.

"By Rao." She breathed. She turned and looked at Rogue. "The Phantom Zone. Before I came to Earth, Kal, then called Superboy, had to place a friend in the Phantom Zone to save his life. Lar Gand!" She turned to her father.

"Lar was a Daxamite, Father." She told him. "And he was exposed to lead."

"Rao!" Zor sucked in his breath. In the Reality he had come from, it had been learned that, in ages past, colonists from the planet Daxam had founded a new planet and called it Krypton. Due to war or natural disaster, no one was sure; the people of Daxam had reverted almost to the level of their equivalent of the Stone Ages, Cutting off all support to the fledgling colony. The colony had survived, barely. They themselves fell to the level of savagery before starting the long climb back to civilization. The years changed the Kryptonians, altering the body chemistry. They no longer had the allergic reaction to common lead that Daxamites had. Lead, to a Daxamite, was deadlier than Green K to a Kryptonian. And, unlike Kryptonians who would recover when removed from the vicinity of the Green K, a Daxamite exposed to lead would never recover.

"He was a space traveler." Kara went on. "In fact, he landed on Krypton mere days before it exploded. Uncle Jor warned him off, giving him star charts and coordinates for Earth and sent him on his way. Lar, from what Kal told me and what I later learned from Lar himself, put in the coordinates, got his vessel underway, and then placed himself in cryogenic sleep for the voyage. When he reached Earth, some sixteen years later, he was met by Kal. Unfortunately, something had gone wrong with the sleep process. Lar woke with almost total amnesia. Since Kryptonians and Daxamites share a root language with surprisingly little lingual drift, Kal naturally assumed that Lar was from Krypton. The Charts furnished by Uncle Jor seemed to confirm this. Kal thought that Lar had to be an older brother that had some how escaped the explosion. And, since it was on a Monday that Kal found him, he named him Mon El." Zor lifted his eyebrows at this, but said nothing as Kara continued. "To shorten this tale somewhat, it was not long before Lar became exposed to an element rare on Daxam but plentiful on Earth: Lead. Simply put, the exposure and the resulting reaction were enough to restore Lar's memory. He told Kal who he was and what was happening. Not knowing what else to do, Kal used the Phantom Zone projector to place Lar in the Zone. To save his life." Her eyes were haunted as she looked up at her father. "What if he's still there?" She asked in a small voice.

"He can't be, dear one." Zor pulled his daughter close. "From what you told me, that history no longer exists."

"But it DID exist." Kara insisted. "Otherwise I would not be here. You would not be here. Rokyn would not be here." There were tears in her eyes. "Father, Lar, in our history, would spend a thousand years in the Phantom Zone. In the Thirtieth century, Brainiac 5 will...would...develop a serum that will keep him alive. Make him immune to the effects of lead. That is according to our history. Not in the new one. In this history, from what I have learned from the Supergirl in the other Reality, Lar does not exist. Instead, his counterpart is a Martian named Monel. Mon El, Lar Gand, is and forever will be, trapped in the Phantom Zone.

"Perhaps not." Zor mused. He smiled. "You see, I worked with Jor on the original projector." He tapped his temple. "I can build a projector. Then we can see if, indeed, your Lar Gand is there." He held op a hand. "However, we cannot allow him to leave the Zone or the effects of the lead exposure will return. Until we can find a cure, he must stay there." Rogue patted Kara on the shoulder.

"Hey, girlfriend, if anyone can find a cure, it would be Reed Richards. Or at least he would know who we would need to go to for help." Kara looked up at her and she smiled. "Hey, if this is the same Mon El you've told me about in the Legion of Super Heroes, then I gotta see. You made him sound like a real hunk!" Despite herself, Kara had to laugh. She grew serious, however, as Rogue continued. "But that's in the future. Right now, let's see what we can do to save these people. One thing at a time, girlfriend, one thing at a time."

To Discover a World 

The days turned into weeks. Working with her father, him on the planet surface and her in the Fantastic Four's vessel, Kara had been able to cut in to every type of broadcast. Utilizing the vessel's elaborate communications system, she had broadcast to the entire population. She had informed them of the ultimate break up of the planet, the Council's stand on the issue, and her own proposed course of action. She made it clear that, should they choose, they would be allowed to remain on the planet, hoping against hope that the council would come up with a way to save the planet from destruction. Those that wished, however, could and would be shrunk once again and returned to Earth. She made it clear that, according to findings by Zor, that enlargement, at a later date, would be highly unlikely. The process that had enlarged them once would not work a second time. In effect, they were warned that, this time, the shrinking would, more than likely, be permanent.

As expected, there had been some panic, but nowhere near the volume insinuated by the council. All in all, the population was split in their desires. A very slight majority wished to be reshrunk, while the remainder wished to find alternative methods.

The problems began, however, when the council made it's announcement that it would not condone re shrinking, nor would it allow key personnel, those it was felt were needed for research in saving the planet, to be involved with the Re-shrinking project. Kara had instantly gone on the air with a rebuttal and a warning. This time she publicly warned the council not to interfere with her. She also warned the council not to interfere with any person, whether they felt him or her to be a key person or not, that wished to go through the re-shrinking. In a private meeting, however, she had let out all the stops.

"You really intend to out do your relative, don't you?" She told Nar Ur.

"What do you mean?" The councilman demanded, stiffening.

"You really intend to be a greater mass murderer than Jax Ur, don't you?" She was intentionally antagonizing the councilman, Rogue was certain. Yet, for the life of her, she could not figure out way.

For her part, Rogue was kept busy on the surface of the planet while Zor worked via secure com-link from his workshop with Kara in the ship. They were getting the apparatus ready that would be needed to simultaneously shrink the population and transport them aboard the vessel.

Rogue, working with volunteers, was busy constructing a city. They would work steadily, working according to dimensions provided by Zor, to create a compact city that would be capable of housing the entire population. It was nothing elaborate. Simply the basics that would be needed by the inhabitants. They also moved in equipment, livestock, and other basic necessities. Rogue, with her power, made the building a breeze. Moving at super speed, using strength for lifting and heat vision for welding, she would create the basic structure and then move on to the next while teams of the Kryptonian equivalent of electricians and plumbers and carpenters moved in to finish the placed up. 

During phase days, which the Kryptonians had learned to anticipate, Rogue would take a break in the vessel with Kara until the phasing was over.

When the call came in for assistance, Rogue thought nothing of it. She simply responded.

The call had come from a dwelling on the outskirts of the old city. Supposedly an elderly couple that wished to move to the new city but were being held back by council goons. When she arrived at the dwelling, she found no elderly couple, no belongings that need to be transported, nothing to indicate that the dwelling had even been used recently.

"What the hell is going on here?" Rogue muttered, annoyed.

"I am afraid you will soon see, outworlder." The voice was muffled, coming from behind her. She turned to see a person dressed in some form of protective suit, his or her identity obscured. She started forward and then doubled over, sharp pain racing through her entire body. Gasping, she fell to her knees, her strength draining from her body. With an effort, she raised her head as the figure stepped forward. He or she held out a hand in which a green, glowing, clump of metal rested.

"So it is true." The voice mused. "You are not Kryptonian, yet you suffer our weakness. Interesting."

Rogue felt herself slipping into unconsciousness. It was Kryptonite! Green Kryptonite. As she slipped into darkness, she wondered if she would ever awaken.

Earth New York City 

"This sucks!" Jennifer Walters tossed her brief case on the couch and headed for the bedroom of her apartment. Despite what many may have expected of an apartment belonging to an up and coming lawyer, not to mention one of the more visible of the multitude of super beings, the decorations were rather basic, giving the indication that it's inhabitant spent as little time as possible there. Yet, over the past few months, she had spent more time here than at any time previous to the resurrection of Kara. Before Kara and Rogue had moved to their new digs in the Arctic, the three had spend almost all their time together. And, afterwards, Jenny had started to feel that a part of her life had lost some of its luster.

She had changed out of her suit and into a bikini (she was so distracted that she had not noticed that she had grabbed the bottoms of one bikini and the top of another) and was looking with a total lack of interest in the fridge, trying to decide what to fix for dinner, when the beeping started. It took her a few moments to realize that it was coming from the terminal Reed Richards had installed when she had become an auxiliary member of the Fantastic Four.

With a sound that could almost be called a sigh of relief, she let the fridge close and moved to the terminal, hitting the receive key. The words 'rerouting transmission' appeared and were quickly replaced by a familiar face framed by disheveled blond hair.

"Kara?"

"Jenny, Thank Rao." Kara looked completely strung out. "Jenny, We need help out here. Rogue is missing and I don't have the time to look for her!"

"Whoa!" Jenny held up a hand. "Start from the beginning. Where are you and what's going on?"

Kara took a deep breath and told Jenny everything.

"My folks just informed me." She wound up the explanation. "Unfortunately, the planet is due to phase at any moment and I'm working against the clock to get this miniaturization apparatus complete. I need some one here that can either take over for me or some one that can go planet side and look for Rogue." Jenny thought furiously then shook her head.

"No. You need to stay with the ship." She said. "Most likely Rogue was taken by those on the council that are against your actions. If they could get Rogue, that means they rendered her powerless. If they could do it to her, they could do it to you." She tapped her chin and then grinned. "As a matter of fact, I think I know just the person that can help you out. Some one who can handle the heavy gravity and still function…Me!" She popped a mini disc into the terminal and set it to record. "Okay, send the coordinates. I'll borrow one of the FF vessels and be there as quickly as I can. Probably about two days."

"But what if the planet phases?" Kara asked

"Then it phases." Jenny sighed. "We can only hope that Rogue can survive it. There is just no way help can get to you any faster. Every one else is gone with the Sliver Surfer…something to do with Cosmic Unions or some such stuff."

A few more words of encouragement and they signed off. Within moments, dressed in her Fantastic Four outfit, Jenny was heading out the door and to Pier Four.

Chapter 3 Deep Space 

Among the learned, there are those that theorize that, within the realms of reality, there exists a circle of infinite possibilities and infinite probabilities. 

For example, they might say, somewhere on this circle of reality, there exists a universe in which super beings are no more than flights of fancy. Yet the further along this circle you travel, whether deosil or widdershins, things will gradually change. For example, by traveling deosil, or clockwise, you will eventually come to a reality that is occupied by a universe in which super beings struggle among themselves for domination. And if you were to travel widdershins, or counter clockwise, you would eventually come to the same universe. 

Further, these learned ones will argue, each and every 'probability' along this circle is, in itself, part of another circle, just as this circle we inhabit is but part of a much larger circle, etc.

So what happens when these circles within circles begin to converge? What happens when, for however briefly, different realities collide?

To Discover a World

Barren of stars, the void was a vast wasteland of space. Home only to a few scattered chunks of rock and the occasional rogue planet or planetoid.

It was through this desolate area of space that Jennifer Walters sped. 

At the moment, she slept, trusting the ships deflectors to brush aside the dust and gravel that could easily damage her ship. Her trust also lay in the proximity sensors that would sound warning should they encounter any objects too big to be deflected by the screens and the ship's computer, which would react to such a warning, altering course to avoid a collision.

Yet neither the screens nor the sensors could be trusted to react to a mass that suddenly appeared within their spheres of influence. Nor could the computer cause a vessel moving as fast as this to turn quickly enough when the mass in question appears mere yards ahead in it's path. Indeed, even a computer that made millions of computations in the space of a nano-second would scarcely have a chance to notice the obstacle before collision occurred.

The green sphere that appeared in the path of the vessel was only slightly more than man-sized. It was stationary and remained so as the vessel struck it. To say that the sphere ruptured the hull and traveled the length of the vessel before emerging at the other end would be only slightly inaccurate. Better to say that the vessel slammed into the sphere and continued, it's structure bending and tearing around the still motionless sphere as it's own inertia pushed it onward. 

Within the sphere he huddled, curled into a fetal position. His mind raced as he tried to make sense of this new development. He was dead. That much he knew. Whatever else might have happened or might yet happen, this was an unalterable fact. He was dead. Slowly he straightened, stretching his awareness to its limits, tapping into a source of power more intense than any mortal should ever know. 

It was not long before he had the answers he sought for. An upheaval in the fabric of reality was occurring. The minds that he briefly touched named the occurrence a Cosmic Union, or so he gleamed from his brief glimpses.

For an instant, he contemplated his own power. With very little effort, he could fix things. He could stretch out his hand and, here in this new place, recreate that which he had sought to create in his own universe. He pushed the thought away, repulsed. The old saying was true. Power can corrupt. He had tried to recreate his own reality. He had tried to correct what he saw as flaws, mistakes that need not have happened. Instead, he had caused more harm. He had caused the death or, worse still, the total non-existence of countless beings in the past, present, and future.

One whom he had long called friend had stopped him, finally. He could still recall the tears in Oliver's eyes as he had drawn back the bow and let his arrow fly.

NO! He would not cause that to happen here. Already, his power told him, there were those that were working to get their reality through this period of upheaval. 

Besides. Once this crisis passed and reality returned to normal, he would return to that state from which he had been dragged.

He let his senses focus more on his immediate surroundings. At first he was puzzled by the amount of debris that surrounded his protective sphere. Then, as he locked in on the now tumbling wreck, he pieced together what had happened. His sphere had appeared in the path of a space vessel. He probed the wreckage, looking for signs of life. He was both relieved and alarmed when he detected the faint signals of one being, just hanging on to life. With just a minute portion of the power at his command, he expanded his sphere and drew the wreckage in. 

He extended a hand and green beams slashed outward from his fingertips, slicing through the tangled mess. When beams reached the area from which the signs of life came, he stopped. Now the slashing beams steadied and stabbed inward. Within moments, the beams backed out of the wreck, a limp form suspended within their light.

He grimaced at the sight of the broken body. The vessel's occupant had been female. He contemplated what his next move should be. For an instant, he considered an attempt to heal the damage. Yet his past troubles had come from trying to be something he was not. And he was no doctor. No. He could lend his power to heal her, but one that knew what they were doing should guide such healing.

With a sigh that was audible only within the sphere of green energy that surrounded him, he allowed his energy to touch the mind of the female. It was his thought to pick her destination from her mind and thus gain some idea of where he should take her. What he found shook him to his very core.

"She's dead!" He whispered. "I saw her body!"

With a casual flick of his fingers, the wreckage of the vessel was expelled from the sphere. As an after thought, a slim tendril of green energy wound through the mess, gleaning every bit of data that could be lifted from the navigation computer. Now he had the coordinates. The green sphere shrank until it enclosed only him and the injured female. Once again he touched her mind, this time infusing it with his own energy. Perhaps, though he could not, she could aid in her own healing.

Satisfied that she would live, at least until they reached their destination, he gave the mental command and the sphere shot off, destination: Rokyn.

Rokyn 

She had no way of knowing how long she had been out of it. She could, by concentrating, vaguely recall being bundled up and rushed out of the abandoned dwelling. Who ever her captors were, they knew enough about the effects of Green K to limit her exposure to it. One person, she could never tell if it were the same one or not, would check on her and occasionally open the lead box in which the hunk of deadly metal was kept, bathing her in it's radiation. Not enough to kill her. Just enough to render her incapable of escape.

Now, able to open her eyes and focus for short periods, she could not decide whether to applaud the ingenuity of her captors or curse it. They had placed her in a dark room; surely lead lined and underground to keep Kara from finding her with her x-ray vision, with a mechanical device that served to periodically expose her to the Green K. It was rather a simple affair, she realized. And thus less likely to break down. It worked much as a pendulum. The lethal Kryptonite placed in a wire container affixed to a long metal bar that swung ever so slowly back and forth. Precisely timed, she assumed, to keep her powerless, yet alive.

Yes, her captors had most definitely done their homework. Yet, as she studied the simple apparatus and gauged her own responses, she had to smile. True, they had done their homework, but they would not be scoring a hundred on this assignment. They, whoever THEY were, had timed the exposures to keep her physically inactive. But they seem to have overlooked some of the other aspects of a super powered Kryptonian. Not all the powers were of a mere physical nature. By straining, she could barely feel her vision powers returning. It would take awhile but she would ultimately, she believed, be able to sustain a steady beam of heat vision. Hopefully. So, with nothing better to do, she settled in to wait. She would have to time it just right.

To Discover a World

"I'm sorry, Kara." Zor El shook his head, the only part of him visible in the vid screen. "We've been able to find where she went and discovered residual traces of Green K, but otherwise, nothing."

"Green K." Kara frowned and shook her head. It hardly seemed fair that Rogue, who had not been born a Kryptonian, should be vulnerable to a purely Kryptonian weakness. Yet Reed Richards had said that, due to a combination of Rogue's original absorption powers and the rejuvenation factor of a super Kryptonian, Rogue was now more Kryptonian than Terran. Indeed, he had even gone so far as to say that even top-notch geneticists would be hard pressed to tell the difference between Rogue and a native born Kryptonian. Though, to be honest, he had only the cell samples he had taken from her to go by and she could not be said to be a true, native-born Kryptonian. Though she knew the history that is all Krypton had been to her…history. She, herself, had been born in Argo City, the domed city that had some how survived the destruction that had befallen Krypton. She had not even been born when Krypton had exploded, but had been conceived years later, as Argo City floated through space.

Kara shook her head and turned her attention back to the vid screen.

"At least she's alive, Kara." Zor tried to console his daughter. "If they had meant to kill her, all they had to do was expose her to the Green K and leave her there. She would have been dead be fore we could track her down."

"True." Kara conceded the point. Yet the planet has phased once since then. Right now, that is what I am worrying about. Was she able to survive that?"

"Why should she have a problem?" Zor had a puzzled look on his face. "When we went through the first phase, there were no injuries. At least none directly related to the phasing. There were quite a few accidents caused by the surprise, though."

"But you all were attuned to the planet when you were enlarged." Kara protested. "Rogue has had no such attunement."

"I see what you are getting at." Zor smiled thinly. "No, the attunement allowed us to live with the phasing long term. After a few years of phasing, an unattuned person might start to feel some detrimental affects. I don't think that is something that we have to worry about in this case." His face hardened. "Our worry is to find her before we have to evacuate. If she is, indeed, weakened by Green K, I doubt she would be able to survive the break up of the planet."

Kara opened her mouth to reply but closed it with a snap when the ship's proximity alarms sounded.

"I'll have to get back to you, Dad." She blurted. "Either help has arrived or some one else is taking an interest. Either way, I've got visitors up here." She signed off and her fingers flew over the controls, pulling up a visual of the sector indicated by the alarms.

At first, there was nothing to see. Rather than waste time ordering the computer to magnify the visual, she turned her head and activated her x-ray and telescopic visions. 

There! A small green sphere traveling unbelievably fast. Kara frowned. The sphere was reminiscent of…but no, he too, was dead and belonged to a reality that no longer existed.

In any case, it was apparent that her curiosity would not be long in being satisfied. For even as she watched, the sphere had traversed the distance and was closing with her ship. For a brief instant, the sphere floated off the port bow, as if whatever power controlled it were hesitant. Then, as if resolved, it closed the last remaining distance until it actually touched the ship.

"Do not be alarmed." The voice rang out through the bridge of the vessel. "I am bringing one in need of medical attention. I am entering your forward airlock."

Kara wasted no time in moving to the airlock. She waited, fists clenched as the lock cycled. The outer door closing, heated air pumped in and equalized, and then the inner door sliding open.

Kara's glanced at the strangely clad man but her attention was focused on the limp figure in his arms.

"Jenny! Oh Rao!" Without thought, Kara snatched Jennifer Walters out of the man's arms and flew towards the ship's infirmary.

"It is she." The man stared at the empty space that Kara had occupied a mere second earlier. Shaking himself, he scanned for her and followed. By the time he had caught up to her, she had already placed Jenny in a machine that was obviously some sort of healing device.

"It's not working." Tears of frustration streaked her cheeks as she looked on helplessly. "The gamma radiation in her system is interfering with the machines."

"Gamma radiation?" Kara turned at the question, her eyes widening.

"Hal?" She could not believe her eyes. "Green Lantern?"

The stranger reached out and wiped the tears from one cheek as he looked at her.

"It is you." He whispered. "You are Supergirl?"

"It's me, Hal." She nodded. "But I thought…."

"That I too had died?" Hal Jordon smiled, but it was a smile devoid of mirth. "Indeed, I did. Though many years after you yourself were killed by the anti-monitor."

"I don't want to talk about that." Kara shivered. She still woke in the middle of the night, at times, biting her lips to keep from screaming. "But how…I mean, I have met the new Green Lantern."

"Kyle." Hal nodded. "He is a good man, worthy to be a Green Lantern." He looked as if he wanted to say something else. Instead, he turned his attention to the green skinned female in the healing machine. "Will she live?"

"I don't know." Kara almost moaned. "Dammit, I should never have called her for help. " She shook herself. "All we can do is wait, to see if the machines can heal her despite the Gamma Radiation."

"What is this gamma radiation?" 

"A long story. But it is what gives her the green appearance and superhuman strength and near invulnerability."

"Then it is also what allowed her to live through a disaster that would have killed a normal human." Hal mused. He squared his shoulders. "You mentioned that you had called her for help. Perhaps I can be of some aid?"

Kara looked up, astonished and a bit chagrined. True, her friend might lie near death, but, on the planet below, another friend was held captive and several thousand beings were in danger of destruction if she did not act. And here…. here was help unlooked for.

"Yes I think so." She said. She touched Jenny's forehead, whispering, "Forgive me." She turned away, leaving the machines to do what they could as she left the infirmary. 

Hal followed, but at the doorway he paused, looking back. He raised a hand and a green tendril shot forth, bathing the healing machine and its occupant. Jennifer Walters would live, that was now a certainty. Yet her life would never be the same. Turning away, he followed Kara to the bridge.

To Discover a World

"So that is the story." Kara had briefed Hal on the current situation. Now they stood on the bridge as the main view screen showed the planet spinning below them.

"I remember Kandor." Hal said. "More than once Kal had taken me along on his visits to the bottle city." He turned to Kara. "And you say that a majority wish to be returned to a bottle?"

"It's either that or death." Kara sighed. "Besides, my father has determined that while the miniaturization may be permanent, there is no reason that they will have to be kept in a bottle. They could easily, with their science, chose to colonize another world…. if that is their wish."

"Possible." Hal stroked his chin with a thumb and forefinger in thought. "And you have not attempted to force the minority to go along with this plan?"

"I couldn't, Hal." Kara frowned at the thought. "I don't have the right to choose for them. I can only offer them alternatives."

Hal looked at her and then sighed.

"So young and yet so wise." His eyes were haunted. "I wish I had been so wise."

"What are you talking about?"

"My sins, Kara." He turned his gaze back to the planet. "You said you have met Kyle. He didn't tell you what had become of me or the Guardians of the Universe?"

"No." Kara answered, slowly. "What happened, Hal?

"Nothing much." He laughed, a bit hysterically. "I merely went insane, destroyed the Guardians and drew all the power of the Great battery into myself." He turned to Kara.

"You called me Green Lantern. I don't have the right to that title anymore, Kara. Now I am known as Parallax." He turned away. "I destroyed the Green Lantern Corps. I damn near destroyed the universe. All for good reasons, of course. I was going to set everything right. I was going to change things back to what they were before the Anti-monitor appeared. I was going to use the power of the Green Lanterns to right those wrongs I saw, real or imagined." He shrugged. "I guess it is all moot now. I have, as far as I can tell, died at least twice. Once at the hands of Green Arrow and once, later, working with Kyle to save what I had so recently tried to destroy myself."

"I guess you could say that I have atoned, in part, for the grief and destruction I wrought." He said after a pause. He turned to Kara again. "Though there are some things that I can never atone for. He took a one of Kara's hands. "It is because of what I did that there is no memory of you. All that you knew, when you lived, was swept away by my power and rebuilt. Though, I must admit, that had Oliver not loosed his arrow while I was distracted, I would have been able to complete my task and you would have been restored." For a brief moment he considered telling her of the last thoughts of one she had held dear…. Of how, the Brainiac 5 of that time had looked upon the grave of his love, Laurel Gand, and wondered whether, in truth, Laurel should be the one he mourned. In the end, he decided against it. The young woman had too much on her mind now as it was.

For a long moment, Kara merely looked at him. Then she sighed.

"I wasn't there, Hal." She finally said. "I have no right to judge. All I can go by is what I knew of you when I…. died." She squeezed his hand. "But right now, we have a job to do. Shall we get to it?"

"Indeed." Hal straightened and turned back to the screen. "I'll go to the planet and locate this Rogue of yours and complete the construction of the city. You continue to work with your father." He started towards the air lock. "Exactly how much time have we got?"

"There is no exact deadline." Kara admitted. "Though both my father and I have come too the conclusion that the final break up is mere days away. Go find Rogue and I'll get to work."

"Will do." He stepped into the air lock and let his green energy surround him as the air was pumped out.

On the vid screen, Kara watched as a streak of green angled away from the ship and flashed towards the planet's surface. Hal would find Rouge.

Chapter 4 Rokyn 

The pendulum swung, ever so slowly. Rogue had timed it as well as she could, getting a feel for the rhythm of its swing. It would be a one shot deal. She wouldn't get a second chance if she wasn't successful the first time.

She had laid her plan carefully. She would have to strike the mechanism on the ceiling from which the metal rod protruded rather than the bar itself. Her objective would be to halt the swing when the green K reached its far zenith before it could begin the back swing towards her. Once stopped, she could only hope that her strength would return before her captors decided to check on her. She had also determined that she would have to strike just after once such visit. They had fallen into an old error by being predictable. Rather than checking on her at irregular times, they had stayed to a schedule. Now she knew exactly how much time she would have before they returned. Usually there were no words exchanged. A suited figure would simply open the room's only door and poke their head in, look at her, and then close the door.

Even as she thought about it, it happened. The door opened ever so slightly, a head popped in, glanced around quickly, and then withdrew. The door shut. She readied herself as the pendulum finished its near arc and began to swing away. She squinted her eyes and, when the pendulum had reached the far arc, she let loose with an intense, wide beam of heat vision. It had to be a wide beam. A narrow beam would simply shear the rod in half, allowing the green K to fall and bounce who knew where. By using a wide beam, however, she could melt the assembly at the ceiling, effectively trapping the pendulum at its furthest point from her. The metal turned first red and then white as it heated and soon it softened. She shut off the beam and then, with the last of her strength, fired a blast of super cold breath. The metal solidified and, with a grinding crunch, the pendulum stopped. A trickle of smoke escaped from the overworked motor on the ceiling as it strained to move the rod.

Rogue sagged back against the wall and let her eyes close. Already she could feel her strength returning. It would not be long now. She allowed her lips to stretch into a feral grin. Her captors had a nasty surprise coming.

To Discover a World

Phase one was completed. Hal Jordon allowed his energy to subside and glanced around at the workers near him. To a person, they all seemed to shrink away from him. Well, why shouldn't they? They had just seen him fly in, consult for a moment with Zor El, and then complete the work on the city. It was as if a green whirlwind had settled over the small valley in which the city was being built. Green energy pulsed and the workers could see, through the green haze, the city taking final shape. There was no sensation of anyone moving at super speed, like Rogue had done when she was working on the buildings. Rather it was as if the buildings were springing into existence from nothing at all. One moment, there was nothing, and then…. a new city.

"Finished." Hal turned to a speechless Zor El. "Now, if you would be so kind as to show me where Rogue was last seen." He turned to one of the foremen of the shaken workers. "You can get people started right away. From what I am given to understand, you don't have much time."

Yes sir!" The foreman nearly stumbled over his own feet in his haste to get away.

"I wouldn't let it bother you." Zor El whispered. "You have to admit that, if you've never seen anything like that before, it is pretty awe inspiring."

"You were in awe." Hal retorted. "Yet you do not act like the others."

"Ah, but remember who my daughter is and who my nephew was." Zor smiled. "I guess you could say that I got used to seeing the impossible."

"Especially if you've happened to have had the opportunity to do the impossible yourself?" Hal lifted an eyebrow. Zor shrugged.

"It's true that Mara and I did not have to join the Kandorians." He said. "We could have remained on earth as two more super powered beings. But it was not us." He shook his head. "We're scientists, not heroes. We leave that to those better qualified for it."

"Like Supergirl." Hal nodded. He was still unused to calling her by her given name. He may have been on a first name basis with Kal, but Kara was a different matter altogether.

"Like Kara." Zor agreed. He straightened his shoulders. "And like yourself, Green Lantern." He smiled. "Call yourself whatever you like. But you _were_ Green Lantern when we left Earth and I would not forget that."

Hal looked at him for a long moment, wondering how this man, the father of one of the mightiest heroes in history, would react if he knew all that had happened…all the pain and suffering his insanity had caused. Finally, he turned away.

"Let's go find Rogue." His voice caught and it came out a bit rougher than he intended. Zor gave him a puzzled look and then nodded.

To Discover A World

"This is it." Zor glared around at the empty room. "This is where we traced her and where we found traces of Kryptonite radiation." He shuddered. "Not enough to harm anyone, but enough to register on our equipment."

"Which means that there had been a harmful amount present at one time." Hal concluded. He looked around the room and then raised a hand. A soft glow sprang forth as he turned in a circle. Then, to everyone's surprise, the glow flared and a tendril sprang forth and zipped through the air, following a trail that no one else could see, traveling through the room before snaking out the door and down a deserted street.

"Neat little trick." Zor deadpanned. Hal glanced at him and, for the first time since he had made planet fall, truly smiled.

"Yes. It is." He lowered his hand, but the trail remained. 'Let Su…Kara know that I'm following a lead. I'll get back to her if I find anything."

"Will do." Zor replied, but he was talking to empty air.

To Discover A World

"What ever it is, it's moving fast."

The three men leaned over the scanner, their faces showing their concern.

"It can't be her." One tried to reassure the others. "Our latest reports say she is still off planet. Besides, she would not be able to find us." He started to add something else when one of the men grasped his arm.

"I don't know what it is but look what it is doing." That man gasped. "It's following our exact course. It's tracking us."

The third man stood.

"Then it's time to move. Quickly before whatever it is gets here." He commanded. He turned to the first man. "You, go get our vehicle ready." He took the other man by the arm. "We shall go get our…guest." Before any of them could move, the ground beneath their feet began to shake violently.

"Ground quake!" The first man yelped. The third man paled as he looked at the floor.

"I think it's much worse than that." He whispered. All three stumbled backwards as the ground heaved and then buckled upwards. Debris flew up and out as first a hand then a head emerged through the freshly torn hole in the floor. They gaped in fear as the head turned to them, the white lock of hair falling forward to obscure one eye. The other eye was clear and the rage that burned within that eye caused all three to scramble away. 

"Oh it's worse than a quake." Rogue purred as she catapulted herself out of her self-made opening. "Much worse."

To Discover A World

Later, she would remember that she dreamed, but could never recall exactly what it was she dreamed.

When she awoke, there was no sense of disorientation, no wondering where she was or how she had gotten there. She knew that she was in the infirmary aboard one of the Fantastic Four's cruisers. She knew that it was Kara that had placed her in the care of the auto-doc. And she knew with certainty that it was not the auto-doc that had healed her. It had directed the healing process, but it was the strange energy that still coursed through her body that had done the actual work of repairing torn tissues and broken bones.

She moved carefully, waiting for some indication that she was not quite as healed as she felt. There were no stabs of pain, no telltale tingling to indicate that she had ever been hurt as she sat up and swung her legs to the floor. She was, of course, nude. A quick glance around showed her only the rags that Kara had ripped from her before placing her in the auto-doc. 

"Okay, girl, we need clothes." She sighed. Standing, she moved to the infirmary's only exit and, as the door slide aside, poked her head out. There was no one in the hallway. So, most probably, Kara was on the bridge with the man that had brought her here. 

Though she was only an auxiliary member, Jenny was sure that one of the cabins aboard the cruiser would contain extra sets of clothes for her as they did for each member of the FF. There was only one catch. She had no idea where that cabin might be located. 

"Dammit, I need clothes!" She snapped as she steeled herself to step out into the hall and go searching as she was. Barely had the thought formed in her mind and passed through her lips before she was enveloped in a bright green glow that flared and then faded, almost instantly.

"What the…." Her eyes widened as she looked down at herself. She was completely dressed! More, she was dressed in the style in which she preferred. Just not in colors that she would have normally chosen. The costume she wore was similar in design to the Fantastic Four outfit she wore, yet, where the FF outfit was blue and white, this outfit was a dark green, black and white. And the FF emblem emblazoned on the chest had been replaced by a dark green shape of a lantern nestled within a circle of bright green.

Her hands were covered, as with the FF outfit, elbow length white gloves. The only difference being the small lantern-in-a-circle emblems that adorned the glove sleeves and the strange, green ring that decorated the middle finger of her right hand. A pair of knee high dark green boots completed the costume. 

For an instant, Jenny wondered if she should return to the auto-doc. She took a deep breath and thought things through. She had needed clothes and had made the desire known. The energy that still pulsed within her had flared and, presto, instant wardrobe.

"It works according to your will."

She spun around towards where she thought the voice had originated but saw no one. It had been HIS voice.

"I'm on the planet surface." The slightly amused reply came to her. "Closing in on Rogue's captors, I believe. I felt you awaken and use the energy of the Lantern that I placed within you."

"The what?"

"A long story. Perhaps you will hear it later. For now, all you need to know is that the energy you feel will be with you from now on. There is no reversing what I had to do to insure your recovery."

"And what exactly was that?" She felt strange talking to the thin air like this.

"To put it simply, I gifted you with a portion of my own power." The tone was amused now. "You are now much more powerful than I was before I became Parallax. Fortunately, you will not need to recharge that energy every twenty-four hours like I did. Also fortunately, since you received your power from me rather than from the Great Battery, you will not have the weakness against things colored yellow as I did. I filtered out the impurity."

"I have no idea what your are talking about." Jenny was getting frustrated now.

"I know. But things will be made clearer in time. But for now, you need to get to the bridge. Things are coming to a head. Tell Kara that she will need to get her father to your ship to activate the equipment. Her power, and yours, will be needed here on the surface."

With out knowing how, Jenny knew that the communication had ended. She checked with a ship's directory to get directions and raced for the bridge.

To Discover A World

"Okay, I think that's got it." Kara stepped back from the equipment she had been working on and glanced at the vid-screen. "Finished." She told the image of her father.

"Great." Zor El nodded and squared his shoulders. "Let's go over it one more time."

"Dad, we've gone over it six times. There is no change." Kara instantly regretted the sharpness of her tone but did not back down. "Going over it again won't do any good. We need to start getting the people gathered and ready."

"You're probably right." Zor agreed. Then he smiled wryly. "One of the drawbacks of being a scientist." He quipped. "We tend to test things to distraction."

"Wow, you sound just like Reed Richards!"

Kara's face brightened at the sound of Jenny's voice cutting into the conversation and she spun around. She stopped, her face now registering shock and recognition.

"Jenny? What…. Where…?" She was staring at the costume.

Jenny smiled, held her arms out and twisted around.

"You like?" She asked. "I have to admit that, at first, I was a bit skeptical. I guess it grows on you."

"Do you have any idea what that costume represents?" Kara asked. Zor, at first unable to see since Jenny was out of the pickup range of the vid-screen, gasped as she came into view.

"I have no idea." Jenny shrugged. "I just needed something to wear and this appeared." She took a breath. "It's strange, Kara, but now is not the time to try to figure it out." She strode over and looked through the forward view screen. "The guy that brought me in was able to contact me. He said that our time is running out and that you and I are needed on the surface." She turned back around to face Kara. "He said that you should get your father up here to run the equipment."

"Not possible." Kara shook her head. "Dad has to stay on the surface so that he can be miniaturized along with everyone else." She looked thoughtful for a moment then made a few adjustments to the equipment before turning back to the vid. "Dad, I have just transferred control to you. You can run it all from there by remote."

"Got it, Kara." Zor looked off screen then nodded. "Yes, it seems to be in working order. I'll wait for word from you before starting the sequence. Zor out."

The vid screen blanked and Kara stood for a moment looking at Jenny.

"Damn it's good to see you up and around." She said. "Though I haven't the faintest idea of how or why. By all rights, you should be stuck in that auto-doc for a couple of weeks."

Jenny smiled, stepped close, and hugged Kara to her.

"I'm not sure I understand it myself." She said. "But I'll tell you all I know on the way. Let's get going."

"Right." Kara blinked back tears and stepped back. "Let's do it."

"I'll need an environmental suit." Jenny exclaimed, as if the thought had just struck her. "And I'll bet you don't have any on board that'll fit me."

"Actually, we do." Kara answered. Reed Richards kept this cruiser well stocked. That includes extra clothes for FF members, one of which is you. But I don't think it'll be necessary." She indicated the clothes Jenny was wearing. "The same energy that provided that should be able to sustain you even in the depths of space. Watch."

She pushed Jenny into the airlock and allowed the inner door to close behind them. As the air was pumped back into the body of the ship, both women noticed a slight green glow spring up to surround Jenny's frame.

"It seems I can carry my environment with me." Jenny said, clearly impressed.

"Of course." Kara whispered. "What Green Lantern can't?" Jenny gave her a puzzled glance as the outer door of the air lock opened to the vastness of space.

Within seconds, two figures were streaking down towards the surface, one a bright green blur the other a blue and red blur.

To Discover A World

Hal had pinpointed the structure that, presumably, housed Rogue and her captors. He surveyed the area for a moment and then decided that a direct frontal assault would, in this case, be called for. He smiled grimly, wondering when the last time he had used his powers for such a mundane purpose as he angled his flight down towards the roof. He halted his descent in surprise as the roof exploded upwards. A single humanoid female, her face a mask of fury, rocketed upwards. Three squalling males trailed her, tied securely in some sort of wire.

"Rogue?" Hal called out, bringing the female's attention to him. She halted her upward surge and turned to face him, visibly bristling as if confronting yet another antagonist. The squalling men spotted him at the same time and, though they might have been confused by his costume, they recognized him for what he had once been.

"Lantern!" One had the gall to call out. "Help!"

Hal did not even deign to notice him. Instead he held up a hand, palm out.

"I'm a…friend…of Kara." He called to Rogue. "She asked me to find you and offer whatever assistance you might need." He finally seemed to take notice of the men and the ruined structure beneath them. "Though it appears that you have things well in hand."

The men, sensing the way things were going began to curse and squall even louder. Rogue, frowning, heaved once on the wire and jolted them into silence.

"Where is Kara?" She demanded, somewhat suspiciously. Hal nodded approval. Kara had chosen well in this one. She was not about to take his word for anything without first checking it out.

"At the moment, she and Jennifer Walters are in route to the planet's surface. They are going to the new city." He informed her. He indicated the men dangling from the wire. From their bruised and battered appearance, Rogue had vented some of her anger on them before bundling them up. "What do you intend to do with them?" He asked.

Rogue eyed him thoughtfully before answering.

"I had not really given it much thought." She finally responded. "I guess taking them to the authorities would be a waste of time." She jerked the wire again, eliciting a series of sharp cries. "Especially since they all admit to being in the hire of the Council in general and Nar Ur in particular." The references were lost on Hal so he said nothing.

"I suppose I should just let them go." Rogue finally considered. "It's not like they have much longer to live anyways."

"Lies!" One of the men shouted. Being beaten and trussed up had done nothing to quench his fanatical devotion to the Council. "All lies. You just want to enslave the people of Kandor again!" Rogue shook her head and released the wire. All three men screamed as they began to plummet earthward. Hal watched, forcing himself not to interfere. 

Rogue waited until almost the last instant before moving. Then, with a bust of super-speed, she swooped down to catch the wire, stopping the downward plummet with a savage jerk that left all three men unconscious. She then settled them easily to the ground and, with a bust of heat vision, cut the wire that bound them.

"They will be okay. They should awaken soon." She snarled. "But not a one of them better show his nose anywhere near the new city. They want to stay with this planet…let them." With that, she angled up and banked sharply to head back to the city. Hal hesitated for a moment, letting his energy play over the men on the ground. Two, at least would face the end of the planet. The third was lucky. He had suffered a heart attack. He would be spared the horror his two companions would soon face…if they awoke in time.

To Discover A World

"Now perhaps you can tell me who you are and what Jenny is doing here." Rogue asked, in a demanding manner, as they flew towards the new city. "Those men seemed to recognize you and called you Lantern. That means you must be from the Reality they came from."

"They did not recognize me personally." Hal corrected. "They recognized me, or thought they did, as being a member of the Green Lantern Corps."

Rogue did a double take.

"I have seen the Green Lantern of the other reality." She said slowly. "In fact, he helped out with putting the finishing touches on our Fortress. Of course, from what Kara has told me, that was not the Green Lantern she remembered."

"That would have been me." Hal confirmed. "I was Green Lantern at the time that Supergirl was killed."

Rogue halted her flight and hovered. 

"Now wait a minute. No one over there even remembers that Kara existed." She was clearly puzzled and it was apparent that once again her suspicions were growing.

"They don't." Hal agreed. "Nor did I while I was still Green Lantern. Yet…events transpired later that changed me." He faltered a bit and Rogue suspected that it was not a subject he was comfortable with. "My power was increased to a cosmic level. And I became aware of changes that had been made to history…"

Rogue shuddered at the haunted look in Hal's eyes and slowly began to fly once again towards the city.

"In any case," Hal continued, matching her speed. "I was no longer part of the Green Lantern Corps. Indeed, the Corps no longer existed. So I took a new name." He turned to look at Rogue. "You can call me Parallax."

He looked as if he might say more when something caught his attention. He looked downward and drew in a sharp breath.

"We must hurry." He said. "It's started." Rogue looked first at him and then down. 

They were passing over a portion of the old city at the moment and, though the Kandorians had built short, wide building rather than tall ones, it was obvious from the way many of them were cracking and crumbling that the ground beneath them was heaving violently.

"The new city!" She exclaimed, alarmed.

"Will not suffer any damage." Hal assured her. "My energy is maintaining it." He frowned. "But we must hurry. I can hold this planet together for only a short time."

"Hold the…." Rogue's voice trailed off as she stared wide-eyed at this strange, powerful man.

"For a short time." Hal went on. "Soon another convergence wave will sweep through this area. When that happens, both this planet and I will cease to exist. " He fixed his gaze on Rogue. "You must get the people into the new city. You have run out of time."

"What are you talking about?" Rogue shouted at him. He shook his head.

"There is no time." He waved a hand at her and green energy washed over her.

"What…" again her voice trailed off. She was still in the air, but Parallax was nowhere in sight. Instead, she was hovering above the center of the new city and, above her; two figures were streaking down from the upper atmosphere. Her emotions ran the gamut of surprise and awe to relief and puzzlement when the two figures drew close enough to identify without the use of telescopic vision. It was, she saw, Kara and Jenny. And Jenny was flying! Surrounded by the same green glow that had surrounded Parallax!

The look on Jenny's face showed that she was waging a war of emotions herself as the three friends gathered. One emotion was concern for the people of Rokyn. The other was obvious joy at the freedom of being able to fly!

"Rogue!" Kara spared a moment to hug Rogue to her, her eyes brimming with tears of relief. Then she pushed her back and gathered her and Jenny in close. "We need to get the people into the city and we have to do it now."

"Only a part." Rogue corrected. "Some were moving in even as portions of the city were being completed. We only have to get about half the population. " She started to say more then snapped her mouth shut as a giant head appeared in the skies above her. It was Parallax!

"Citizens of Rokyn!' The figure spoke and the three friends knew that every individual in the old city was hearing what they were hearing. "It is urgent that you prepare to move to the new city. It is complete and ready for you. Soon Kara Zor-El and her friends will be moving among you aiding in the moving of equipment that must be moved, however, it is imperative that you move yourselves to the new city or to an arranged transportation area."

"Well, let's get to it, shall we?" Like a three-pointed star the three friends spread out, each heading towards a section of the old city.

To Discover A World

Kandorians, due to their history, were not given much to panicking. Though they had missed the violent destruction of Krypton, they had survived through many mishaps and near misses that would have left most people with nervous breakdowns. Kandorians, however, simply buckled down to the task at hand. 

Those that had decided to stay on the planet and take their chances watched sullenly, and sometimes fearfully, as their friends and neighbors and loved ones directed the moving of belongings and materials that would be needed in the new city. Often they would stop and, once again try to convince the stubborn ones to join them. With the coming of the ground quakes, some decided to throw their lot with those returning to the miniaturized state. However, many clung stubbornly to the belief that the Council would come up with a method of saving them. Still others grumbled that if Supergirl wanted to, she could have saved them planet and all.

From the vantage point Parallax had taken in the upper atmosphere, he touched upon the thoughts of these individuals and shook his head. No, Kara couldn't. He could, though. It would not take much power. Hardly more than what he used now to hold the planet together. Kara and her father had been mistaken in their calculations. They had not taken into account the Cosmic Union: the Convergence of realities that was even now sweeping through space and time. Had not one such convergence brought him here, this planet would even now be a cloud of dust and Kara would be looking down from her vessel on failure.

And now another convergence approached. Much like the wave of an ocean rolls in and breaks on the shore, so this convergence would soon roll over them. When that happened, Hall was certain, his time in this reality would be ended. It would not, he knew, be the end of his story. He knew already what lay in store in the future. But it would be the end as far as Kara and this reality were concerned.

He left a minute portion of his attention on the energy needed to maintain the new city and the planet and turned his attention on the three girls.

Here Kara supported a structure while emergency crews evacuated it and cleaned out all useful equipment. There Jennifer Walters was using a mixture of her gamma radiation induced strength and her new powers to herd and transport livestock to the new city…huge glowing green pods filled with farm animals. And over there Rogue used her super breath to snuff a fire caused by the quakes and then moved at super speed to gather materials that would be needed in the future. The three moved with urgency yet always mindful of the need to maintain a calm appearance. Stopping now and again to reassure citizens or to lend a helping hand when no others were near. The green giantess enamored several Kandorians as she moved among them. Many times laughing good naturedly as she would try something with her new powers. The laughter was shaky, however, when she slipped while lifting a 30-ton generator and had lunged to catch it with her hands.

"Hmmmm. Obviously this is harder than it looks." She had muttered to herself as she balanced the generator with one hand while looking for a good spot to put it.

For hours the trio worked non-stop, moving people, equipment, and materials to the new city. Nor were they alone. Citizens did not wait for a super powered being to move them. Many moved themselves or aided in moving others. Soon, New Kandor, as the new city was being called, was teaming with life as people stored food, water, and everything else they would need to make a new life in a bottle. When they had been taken the first time, snatched from the surface of Krypton, they had not been prepared, having to make due with what they had on hand. This time, they would be better prepared. This time they made sure they had plenty of seed for crops, enough livestock to ensure steady supplies of meat and dairy products, enough medical supplies to last until more could be produced, etc. 

Hal withdrew his attention from the activity on the planet and let his mind range outward. The next convergence wave was almost upon them. He had little hope that it would help, but still he had to try. Expending his energy to the max, he placed a shield around the planet. It would hold as long as he did. However long that would be. When that wave hit, it would return him to where he belonged and the only part left of his energy here would be that portion he had placed within Jennifer Walters.

To Discover A World

"We've run out of time!" Jenny made the announcement when all three had gathered at New Kandor. It was really the first time that any had seen each other since they had begun their various tasks. 

"How do you know?" Rogue asked. She was still curious about the sudden appearance of powers in Jenny that were so like the powers that Parallax had displayed. She promised herself to get the whole story later since now was neither the time nor the place for in-depth conversations.

"Parallax!" Jenny answered. "We have to finish up."

"Right." Kara nodded. "Concentrate on the people now. Get them into the city."

"No." Jenny shook her head, her look haunted. "There is no time. Everyone that is going is already there or they are too late." She hugged herself and shivered. "We have to get back to the ship." She looked down from the hovering position the three had taken over the new city to see the bustling activity. Workers were busily arranging and storing the last loads of materials that the three super heroines had flown in.

"She is right, Supergirl." All three turned to see the semi-transparent apparition that had materialized near them. Parallax, though not there physically, seemed to look at each of them in turn. "There is nothing more you can do. Your powers can't stop what will happen here. Your staying now would only endanger those that are ready."

"What about your powers?" Supergirl demanded.

"My powers, along with me, will be gone when this wave hits." His voice was devoid of any emotion, as if he were merely discussing a rapid change in the weather. "And the power that I have bequeathed to Jennifer Walters will not be enough to stop what must happen here."

For a long moment Kara considered her options and finally, her lips pressed into a thin line of defiance, she shook her head. Her hair bellowed around her in stray strands.

"No." Her voice was firm, defiant. "I won't accept that. We may not be able to save the planet, but I will not abandon any that wish to leave." She fixed Jennifer with a glare. "I know what the power of a Green Lantern can do." She pointed at the apparition that floated near them. "Can you repeat what he did earlier?"

"What? Broadcast an image of you in the sky and amplify your voice?" Jenny frowned and then shrugged. "Kara, I've had these powers for a matter of hours." Her face, full of anguish, belied the calmness of her stance and voice. "I don't know what I can do yet."

"She will learn, in time." Hal's proxy spoke. "Even I did not learn to be a Lantern in a matter of hours." It's mouth quirked upwards in a grim smile. "What is it you wish, Kara? I can expend the energy."

To Discover A World

Those left in the old city, whether working to move materials or belongings or those that planned to stay, all stopped whatever they were doing when the blond visage appeared in the sky.

"People of Kandor." Each and every person stared open mouthed as Kara's voice sounded. "Our time has run out. If you are working to bring materials to the New city, please stop and gather in the nearest open space. You will be transported to the New City. If you are in New Kandor, please remain where you are. Do not attempt to leave the areas marked out as the boundaries. If you are in route to the City, make the best speed you can to cross those boundaries. If you know of others that are having difficulties, we ask that you help them to the nearest open space…." The visage continued to repeat instructions even as the three friends leapt into action. Kara and Rogue ranging outward from the city to find stragglers and lift them individually to the city, dumping them without ceremony within the boundaries before jetting off at super speed to find more. Jennifer dealt with groups pointed out by Hal. She would form a green platform beneath their feet and, with a word of caution, lift them to the city. Those in the new city already that tried, despite the warnings, to leave and gather more materials or some cherished belongings were stopped at the boundaries by a green glowing wall; courtesy of Hal.

"This is your last chance." Kara stood, side by side with Rogue and Jenny, facing those of the Kandorian Council that had elected to stay with the planet. Despite earlier bravado, the number that had actually decided to remain was much smaller than Kara expected. 

"We will not be enslaved!" Nar Ur shouted. He blanched and backed up a step as Rogue stepped closer to him.

"You ass!" She looked as if she would like nothing better than to wring his neck "How dare you even speak after what you hired those goons to do to me!"

"You have no proof I had anything to do with that!" He spoke a little too loudly, as if the volume of his voice would encourage others to believe his professed innocence.

"Rogue." Kara laid a hand on her friend's arm as she started forward. Nar Ur's face, already pale, grew whiter still. Kara turned her attention to him. "You are not worth the effort, Nar Ur." She told him. "But think on this before the planet crumbles around you. For the rest of time, the Family Ur will be a black spot on Kryptonian history. Think on this also… Jax at least had more guts." She turned back to the others and saw, in their eyes, that there was no chance of them changing their minds. "You are fools, but you are free to be fools. C'mon." This last was to Rogue and Jenny as she turned away. Jenny followed immediately but Rogue hesitated. For a long moment she merely looked out Nar Ur. Then, with a smile any other predator would recognize, she reached out and grabbed the front of his tunic, lifting him off the floor and dragging his face inches from her own.

"I really hope that you are not one of the first to die." She hissed. "I want you to see what you have done." She wrinkled her nose and looked down at the puddle gathering on the floor below the dangling councilman. "You really are disgusting." She sat him down with enough force to cause him the fall to his knees in the puddle he had made. Shaking her head, she turned to follow Kara and Jenny.

"You outworld bitch!" Nar Ur snarled. "I'll get you. Remember that, I will hunt you down and kill you."

Rogue put a hand up, palm outward, as if to say, "talk to the hand, buster, cuz I ain't listening" and continued out the door.

"That's it." Kara said once they had exited the Council building. "Everyone that is going is in New Kandor."

"So what now?" Jenny asked. She had vague notion of what the plans were but had not been present when the actual mechanics of the operation had been ironed out between Kara, her father, and Rogue. 

"Now we get our butts back to the ship and get ready." Rogue answered. Kara nodded in agreement.

"Right. By now my father should have started the preliminary sequences by remote. We can get to the ship and monitor. Just in case something goes wrong that requires our intervention."

"Then let's get to it."

The three friends gathered themselves and leapt upward. 

To Discover A World

Everything was set. With Rogue and Jenny set to watch various indicators, Kara zipped back and forth between the bridge and Reed Richard's Lab, making final adjustments.

On the planet, Zor sat before his console, monitoring as the energies began to build. Already waves were spreading out over the city, slowly enclosing it within a perfect symmetrical bubble. If their calculations were correct, there would be neither discomfort nor any other indication that they were being reduced in size. A person near the edge of the bubble might, were the energies transparent rather than opaque, have been able to tell by looking out as the surrounding scenery seemingly increased in size. Yet he and Kara had decided that, for purely psychological reasons, it would be best if it were not so visible.

"OMYGOD!" Rogue had looked away from the array of dials and sensors to catch a glimpse of the forward view screen. Though it would have been invisible to the naked eye, the sensors of the cruiser had picked up and translated a visual image of the approaching convergence wave. It rolled and churned in a turbulent wall of ethereal energy that continued to bear down on the planet. "Kara, can you speed it up?" She called out.

"No." Was the curt reply. "Dammit, Brainiac shrunk the city and vanished within a matter of minutes. But our level of technology is still not as advanced as his." She sighed and glared at the screen. "We just need time. Just a little more time."

To Discover A World

Hal felt the first tingling of the approaching wave and knew that his time was up. No matter how much power he had, the forces that were being unleashed in this reality would force him out. He could stop it, of course. But at what cost? Had he not already caused enough damage by tinkering with nature? He turned away from the wave and withdrew his energy from the planet, constricting it to a small protective sphere around New Kandor. 

On the surface, pandemonium reigned. Enraged and frightened citizens ringed the Council building calling for the council members to come out and answer for their betrayal. Frightened and frantic mothers demanded to know the whereabouts of their children. It was only then that it became wide spread knowledge that there was not a child under the age of 15 to be found anywhere outside the New City.

In the inner chambers of the Council building, the remaining council members huddled behind locked and barricaded doors. Every so often they would glance at each other with guilty, furtive glances. None seemed aware that Nar Ur was not besieged with them.

The wave struck the planet and boiled onwards.

To Discover A World

"YEOW!" Jenny snatched her right hand away from her console and glared at the brightly glowing ring. 

"Kara!" Jenny jerked her head towards Rogue and then back to her console, gasping in horror. The planet was breaking up!

"Hal is gone!" Kara's voice was strained as she studied the equipment. "Rogue, I need you to get a tractor beam on the city. She shook her head. "Maybe it will hold it steady long enough for the process to complete." She turned and looked at Jenny. "I know you haven't had the time to practice. All I can tell you is what I was told by Hal. The Lantern energy works according to your will. With Hal gone, the energy that he had protecting the city will be gone as well. I need you to throw up a protective bubble."

"Over an entire city?" Jenny floundered. "Kara, I can't…."

"Jenny, you have to!" Kara snapped. Then she softened her tone. "Look, all you can do is your best. That's all I'm asking you to do. But remember this, if you don't think you can do it, then you won't be able to do it. But with the lantern energy, you can."

Jenny looked at Kara for a short moment then nodded.

"Okay, let's give it a go." She headed to the forward air lock, stopping to grab an environmental suit.

"I thought you didn't need one of those." Rogue called out.

"I don't, but if I am going to be putting all my energy into a bubble around the planet, I don't want to be distracted by having to keep one about me as well."

Kara and Rogue watched the forward screen as a green flash zipped across their field a view and downward towards the planet.

"Be careful, Jenny." Kara whispered. Rogue silently added her own similar plea.

To Discover A World

It was not so much the fact that he had been wrong; it was more the knowledge that the El bitch and her outworlder friends had been right that galled Nar Ur.

He huddled in his living quarters, waiting for the end. He had seen enough to know that it would not be long now. From his lab he had seen scenes from around the planet showing whole sections of the planet crumbling. No, there would be no explosion like Krypton. The planet was simply going to break up into so much gravel. Damn the El family. And damn that outworld, white locked bitch!

To Discover A World

Still the convergence wave rolled over, around, and through the planet. The energies swept over the surface, pushing at it, trying to eject it from this reality back into a reality that no longer existed. The end result: The planet was squeezed, being slowly crushed between an irresistible force and an immovable object.

"Tractor beam ready, Kara." Rogue announced. She had set in the proper coordinates and allowed the computer to calculate the force needed to hold a rapidly shrinking target. "About to…activa…" She trailed off and allowed her hands to fall to her side as the planet vanished from sight on the forward screen. "It's gone." 

"NO!" Kara searched the area with her telescopic vision. Rogue was right. There was no indication that there had ever been a planet. Only a few stray pebbles that swung in an orbit around some invisible point where the center of the planet had been. "And Jenny is gone too." Her voice closed up and the last came out almost in a sob.

"No, there! Look!" Rogue pointed at the screen and then, without saying anything further, sped to and through the forward airlock. Her green and yellow costume left colorful trails as she zipped out to the limp, floating figure and back to the ship.

"Is she…?" Kara began, stopping as Rogue shook her head.

"I think she is just unconscious. She's been expending a lot of energy and she's exhausted."

"Good." Kara managed a weak smile and turned back to the screen. Gone. They were all gone. She stood there, hands clinched into fists of frustration at her side. The last of the Kryptonians. Gone. He parents…everything….

"Now this is strange." Rogue had laid Jenny out on a reclining chair and returned to her console. "According to the sensors, there is nothing out there. The planet is gone. Yet my instruments here say that they still have an energy link."

"What? What energy link?" Kara jerked herself out of her mood and forced herself to concentrate on what Rogue was saying.

"I'm not quite sure." Rogues hands flew across the board. Her eyes widened. "Whatever it is, it's growing stronger." She let out a whoop of delight. "We've still got them! I don't know how, but we still have them!" 

To Discover A World

Hal Jordan felt his awareness fading. He was, he knew, returning to that state in which he would remain until the heroes from his own reality came to him. He would be given a chance to redeem himself. He could never, he was quick to realize, undue what he had done. Nor could he expect his once close friends to ever forgive him. But he would jump at the chance to again be what he once was…. a hero! Here and now, however, he could begin on a smaller scale. With the last of his waning energies he enveloped the shrunken city of Kandor and flung it back through the veil. With it he sent his best wishes for Kara and Rogue and a new Green Lantern!

To Discover A World

"There! Got it!" Rogue locked in on the speck that was Kandor and flipped the transport switch. "It was him, Kara! It was Parallax. Where ever that wave sent him and the planet, he was able to throw the city back out for us to lock on to!" 

Kara only nodded, her attention riveted on the glass habitat setup in the cruiser's lab. Soon…there! At first it was nothing more than a soft glow, tinged with green. Then, faintly at first, the outlines of buildings began to appear and solidify.

"That's it, Kara. " Rogue reported from the bridge.

Working at super speed, Kara proceeded to hook up the life support systems, maintaining a steady flow of oxygen, gravity equivalent to that which they were accustomed, and a cycling source of light that emulated the effects of a red sun. Other systems, to reproduce the effects of changing weather patterns, would be put in place by the Kandorian scientists. Next, she moved to a console and, with fumbling fingers, tapped out the codes needed to establish communications with the inhabitants of the city. For a long moment she held her breath and then the comm. Screen cleared of snow to reveal Zor El.

"Dad!" Kara breathed a sigh of relief and only her will kept her from collapsing with relief.

"We're all okay, Kara." Zor smiled. Though he did appear to be somewhat pale. "Though I have to admit we were worried for a moment there." The screen pulled back and the view widened until Mara, Kara's mother, and other people were visible. "The new Kandorian Council would like to extend its heartfelt thanks to you and your friends."

"Kara Zor-El" Mara began and from that Kara knew that she was not speaking as her mother but as a Council member. "The Council would like to address all three of you. Is that possible?"

"I don't know. I'll have to check on Jenny…"

"We're here, Ma'am." Kara spun to see both Rogue and Jenny grinning back at her. Though Jenny appeared exhausted and leaned heavily on Rogue, she looked none the worse for wear. Kara smiled and gathered her friends close and turned back to the screen.

"Mom…. Members of the Council. " She began. "You have all met Rogue, allow me to introduce the third member of our little team. Jennifer Walters, otherwise known as She-Hulk!" Many of the male members of the council had raised eyebrows at the sight of the green giantess that almost dwarfed her two companions. Still others stared wide-eyed at the costume she wore.

"Well, yes." Mara cleared her thRaot and stood straight. "Let it be known that, by unanimous decree, both Rogue and Jennifer Walters are forevermore counted as citizens and heroes of Kandor and that their likenesses shall be preserved in the Hall of Heroes. Also, on a more personal note, " and now she looked both proud and smug. "Let it be known that, from this moment on, both Rogue and Jennifer Walters have been formally adopted into the House of El. Also…"

To Discover A World

Nar Ur felt the darkness folding in around him. "So this is what it's like to die", he spoke aloud to the darkness. 

"You will not die this day, human."

"Huh? Who's there?" Nar yelled out as the darkness faded, revealing a horrible visage standing over him. The being picked him up painfully by one arm and threw him on an examination table, restraints automatically snapping around his arms and legs. "What are you? Some sort of demon? That bitch was right! I did die and now I'm in hell."

The 'demon' had turned away from his new 'friend' and ordered the robotic-pilot to decrease cloaking to 2%. 

"Master, what of the _being_?" The pilot asked, pausing.

"That being has left this universe with the latest wave of the Union. We won't need to maintain as complex a field to hide from those who remain."

"Who left? Remained? Did she do it? Tell me, you monster!"

"You will remain silent until I have a use for you, human."

"What are you going to do with me, demon?"

"I'm going to ask you a few questions…"

"I'm not going to tell you a damn thing, monster."

"I'm not a monster… I'm Thanos. And you WILL answer my questions."

"Where are you taking me?"

"Silence", Thanos commanded as he lowered a stasis shield over the former council leader.

The last words he heard were: "Things will be different if the system has a Yellow sun… and perhaps another reality. A reality with only one Kryptonian against which to test my new …experiment. A young blond male Kryptonian*…"

To Discover A World

The three friends settled in for the return trip to Earth. Though any of them could have made the trip back in a fraction of the time the vessel would take, neither Jenny nor Rogue were comfortable enough with their new powers to risk such a journey and Kara was reluctant to leave the City of Kandor. 

After taking a well-deserved rest, each of the friends had found things to occupy their attention during the three-day trip. So it was that Kara was surprised to find Jennifer in the observation lounge, once again dressed in a Fantastic Four costume she had found in one of the cabins.

"I don't want this power." Jennifer insisted. Her fists clenched in barely suppressed rage as she gazed out at the flowing stars. She turned to look down at Kara. She opened one fist to reveal a ring nestled in her palm. "This…this ring held the entire story." Her hand clenched again. "He was a monster. A hideous monster."

"Yes, he was." Kara nodded. "He told me the story, told me what he had done." She placed a hand on Jenny's shoulder. "But not always. Once, he was the greatest member in the history of the Green Lantern Corps. Once he was a hero that all other heroes looked to for guidance. Finally, he and every one else discovered something else about him."

"What?"

"They discovered that he was human." Kara's voice was soft. "They discovered that even the mightiest could fall. They discovered that he, like everyone else, has a breaking point. But whatever he may have done, whatever he may have become, that does not change what he once was. It does not change the hero that he was." Kara patted her shoulder and left her to her thoughts.

Once again she turned to the stars, the ring had told the entire story, so she knew that what Kara had said was true. And how could she say that, given all the stress that had been piled on this man, she would not have snapped as well?

She looked down and, slowly placed the ring bank on the middle finger of her right hand. Though the energy was not in the ring itself, she would wear it as a symbol and, for the present at least, a focus. Her costume changed once again and where a moment earlier Jennifer Walters, She-Hulk, Auxiliary member of the Fantastic Four had stood, now stood Jennifer Walters, She-Hulk, Green Lantern!

Holding her hand out, ring to the stars, she fought back tears as she repeated an oath long ago uttered in another reality:

In the brightest day, In the blackest night No evil shall escape my sight, Let those that worship evil's might Beware my power: Green Lantern's Light! The End of To Discover A World And the end of The Rebirth! 


End file.
